Governor launches anti-polio drive for FATA

Receives briefing on development of tribal belt.

PESHAWAR:

A three-day anti-polio campaign for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) was launched at the Governor House on Monday with Governor Shaukatullah Khan administering anti-polio drops to children.

Khan asked the relevant authorities to ensure each and every child of the tribal areas is vaccinated against polio so the crippling disease can be eradicated from the region and future generations saved from being handicapped.



Fata Additional Chief Secretary Arbab Muhammad Arif, Fata Health Director Dr Parvaiz Kamal Khan, representatives of the World Health Organisation and Unicef among other concerned officials were present on the occasion.

The total target population in this anti-polio drive stands at 0.7072 million children for which 2,614 teams have been constituted. Out of the 91 cases reported in the country in 2013, 65 were reported from Fata.

Fata briefing

While chairing a high-level follow up meeting after the President’s recent visit to Governor House, the governor said development of Fata was among his top priority and all uplift schemes of the tribal areas would be completed soon.

He directed relevant officials to accelerate efforts to come up to expectations of Fata’s residents and carry out need-based development in the area. The governor received a detailed briefing from officials of the FATA Secretariat who said work on development schemes has started in accordance with the president’s directives.



Khan also directed authorities to establish quality educational institutions in areas where students are eager to learn and facilities are lacking. He also ordered for the initiation of a housing project for the people of Fata, construction of a general hospital in the tribal areas‚ provision of skilled training to tribal youth and scholarships for indigenous students in federal universities.

Fata Additional Chief Secretary Arbab Muhammad Arif, Fata social sector and law and order secretary, among others were present at the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2014.