Security has been provided to 361 mobile, 38 fixed and eight transit teams in the agency. PHOTO: FILE
The polio vaccination campaign kicked off in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) amid tight security on Tuesday.
The new drive comes after targeted attacks on polio workers in Peshawar, Shabqadar, Charsadda and Karachi during the last polio campaign.
Mohmand Agency Field Supervisor Medical Officer (FSMO) Dr Shaber told The Express Tribune that the campaign in Mohmand started on Tuesday in all three sub divisions and that the political administrations will provide foolproof security to polio teams.
Security has been provided to 361 mobile, 38 fixed and eight transit teams in the agency.
Dr Jehanzeb Dawar in Bajaur Agency said that 220,000 children will be vaccinated by 670 teams, adding that no female health worker was deputed in the agency. “Male workers are performing their duties along with Bajaur Scouts and other law enforcement agencies to achieve the target,” he said.
Similarly, the district administration in Charsadda has divided the area into three subdivisions. However, a sense of fear grips all these areas.
Charsadda Executive District Officer (Health) Dr Fazal Akbar said that the campaign, beginning Thursday will be conducted in three phases. “All security measures have been finalised for the protection of the teams,” he said.
The district has been divided into three categories, including tehsil Charsadda Tangi and Shabqadar. He further said that they were taking all out steps because security threats still persist.
On Sunday, 56 female workers in Mohmand Agency refused to take part in the immunisation plan because of the precarious law and order situation.
Making it mandatory
The South Waziristan political administration has made it mandatory for all tribesmen to have official documents certifying polio immunisation of their children in order to obtain national identity cards (CNIC), domiciles, passports and other government documents.
The decision was taken in a meeting headed by South Waziristan Political Agent Shahidullah Khan.
Khan said that the administration has conducted drives to create awareness among people to vaccinate their children, but all efforts were in vain. “Keeping in view the growing number of polio cases, we were left with no other option but to interlink the provision of government documents with the polio immunisation,” he added.
Shahid further said that those parents who refuse to vaccinate their children will not be given these documents. “The whole tribe will not be punished for an individual’s refusal as it happened in the past under the collective and territorial responsibilities clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation in South Waziristan,” he said.
He added that a committee comprising elders and clerics to hold negotiations with Mullah Nazir’s group in order to lift a ban on polio vaccination has failed to deliver.
The group banned polio vaccination in Wana sub-division of South Waziristan on June 25, 2012 linking it with halting drone attacks in the tribal areas. Since then, no vaccination was conducted in the area except on the premises of the Wana Scouts Camp.
The drive was carried out in Ladha and Sarwakai sub-divisions of South Waziristan as well.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2013.
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