Liaqat Baloch said that polio eradication is part of their manifesto and they are committed to fighting the disease. PHOTO: FILE
The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) demanded Washington apologise for using a private polio vaccination campaign to track down Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad at a briefing on Friday.
The largest religio-political party’s deputy secretary general Farid Ahmed Piracha said an apology would help clear misconceptions about American funding for polio vaccines at a briefing session on Enhancing the Effectiveness of Anti-Polio Vaccination Programme organised by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency.
Sharing details of JI’s health policy he said the party will increase the budget allocation for healthcare to 2% of GDP, make it mandatory for all public hospitals to offer services in out-patient departments in the evening, provide free-of-cost healthcare and medicines to needy patients.
There was greater focus on political rhetoric as opposed to practical measures to combat the crippling disease. The JI leaders are focused on the probable positive effect an apology would have on parental refusals.
During the session, JI Secretary General Liaqat Baloch said polio eradication was part of their manifesto and they were committed to fighting the disease.
JI Deputy Secretary Hafiz Sajid Anwar said mosques should be used for educating people about polio and administrating polio vaccines.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 16th, 2013.
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This piece about polio vaccinations is perpetuating a myth. Yes, the U.S. used a doctor to help in their hunt for Osama Ben Laden. But, no, there was no connection to any polio vaccination effort. The doctor in question was offering vaccinations against hepatitis … not polio. The polio vaccination is administered via oral drops. It is not possible to obtain anyone’s DNA while administering the polio vaccine. You should know this.