A file photo of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. PHOTO: REUTERS
Pakistan is facing global travel restrictions for its failure to ensure a polio-free country.
The government – criticised for not doing enough – has now decided to deploy army personnel on the border of the tribal belt to monitor movement of locals into the bordering provinces.
Many in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas - where propaganda against polio vaccination is rife - are not immunised against the crippling disease.
Pakistan’s reported polio cases for the year climbed to 61 on May 12, as two fresh samples collected from children in Karachi and North Waziristan Agency were confirmed as poliovirus type 1.
Finally waking up to the global fallout from the polio threat, the federal lawmakers had recently passed a non-binding resolution calling for the implementation of polio immunisation programme (EPI).
The resolution urged the lawmakers to make a commitment that they would monitor and implement vaccination campaigns in their respective constituencies.
Agendas discussed during Cabinet session:
Amendment in Seed Act, 1976, (National Food Security & Research Division).
Framework Agreement between China and Pakistan on Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project (Economic Affairs Division).
Agreement between Turkmenistan and Pakistan on Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation (Economic Affairs Division).
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding Up gradation of Pakistan- Bahrain Joint Economic Committee (JEC) to the Level of Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) (Economic Affairs Division).
Ratification of the Agreement in the Field of Vocational Training Signed between Jordan and Pakistan on 7th March, 2012 (Education, Trainings & Standards in Higher Education Division).
Ratification of Memorandum of Understaffing (MoU) between Pakistan and Turkey in the Field of Urbanization (Housing & Works Division).
Signing of an Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Handicrafts between the Governments of Pakistan and Tunisia (Industries & Production Division).
Starting of Negotiations on Cultural Exchange Programme between Nigeria and Pakistan 2014-2017 (Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage Division).
Programme of Cultural Cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for 2014-2019 (Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage Division).
Cultural Cooperation between Pakistan and the Russian Federation for 2014-2018 (Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage Division).
Starting of Negotiations on Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cultural Cooperation between Pakistan and Iraq for the Period 2014-2019 (Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage Division).
Starting of Negotiations on the Executive Programme for Cultural Cooperation between Kuwait and Pakistan for the Period 2014-2018. (Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage Division).
Starting of Negotiations for Renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cultural Cooperation Between Norway and Pakistan for the Period 2014-2019 ( Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage Division).
Starting of Negotiations for Cultural and Scientific Cooperation between Pakistan and Jordon for the Period 2014-2018 (Information, Broadcasting & National Heritage Division).
Signing of an Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons between Pakistan and Korea (Interior Division).
To Start Negotiations and Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in Food Security, in Particular Rice, between Pakistan and Bahrain (National Food Security & Research Division).
Convention between Pakistan and Republic of Moldova for the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (ADTA) (Finance Division).
Signing of the MoU between the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) and Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) (Science & Technology Division).
Ratification of MoU between Board of Investment and Kuwait Investment Authority (Board of Investment) with the direction to come up with a comprehensive road-map for increasing foreign investment in Pakistan.
Confirmation of the Decisions taken by Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCOP) in its meeting held on 3rd October, 2013 (Cabinet Division).
COMMENTS (41)
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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday issued an order to not let people from tribal areas enter other provinces if they are not immunised. However, they are allowed to enter if they carry guns- P.M added.
ET:
Why are you not publishing my posts??????????????
A step closer to disintegration......
@kay: Not only FATA, KPK and Baluchistan as well. It is time that we get divorce from them.
Much as I want to see polio eradicated, the order seems to be 'unconstitutional'. You can't prevent people from one province travelling to another within the same country. I don't think there is any law forbitting this?.
Why not ban punjabis from other provinces unless they are vaccinated. There are a lot more diseases coming from Punjab than any other province
@Rex Minor:
I'm no fan of IK or PTI, but FATA isn't their jurisdiction (the name 'Federally' administered tribal areas should give a hint), and their Sehat ka Insaf program in KPK has so far been a moderate success. The most recent survey of Peshawar sewers tested negative for type 1 poliovirus.
Thanks to stupid 18th amendment , there is no federal minister for health!!!
And there are so many health issues with bacteria , not to mention polio.
Please undo this stupid 18th amendment
They(the people to the west of Indus) should also get visa for Punjab along with their vaccination certificate in order to cross Indus to enter Punjab.
A great step in the right direction.
Polio problem is not problem of 2013 or 2014, its failure at different levels span over last few decades. Mr Nawaz n his party part of this crime.
Well done. But it should have been an excellent act if done before the spread of Polio and the restrictions by WHO on Pakistani travelers !
Seperate FATA from Pakistan and 80% problems will be solved.
A travel restriction for Pakistanis against travelling inside their own country. Is this even legal? How is it a great idea?
@Liaqat Yousufzai: As most of the Polio cases in Karachi are detected from Gadap area (inhabited by Wazir / Mehsud tribesmen), you might rethink your hostility. Or would you rather have the newscaster tell the ethnic origins of the polio victims as well? Isn't it enough that these tribesmen are cruising the roads of Karachi 24/7 in dumpers; all registered in Quetta / Lasbella? Why should I expect goodness and reason from a group of people who repeatedly abuse the land of Sindh, yet even refuse to pay a small vehicle tax towards it? I don't really care how they treat their own kids' well-being, but I wouldn't allow mine to be jeopardised. And that, too, in my home.
@Liaqat Yousufzai: Most of the virus in khi has origins from FATA or KPK, nonetheless, yes, anybody moving from karachi should also be made to take polio drops, u see this isnt about ego, inferiority or ethnicity, this is a disease and should be dealt with accordingly. love from Karachi.
@Patriot.N: "A genius with no job." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ When I visited Pakistan the IQ level of both India and Pakistan rose higher. Figure that out.
“PM makes polio vaccination mandatory for travellers from FATA to other provinces” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sadly a kick on the hind side was required to push the PM into action. Future generations of Pakistanis need to be thankful to WHO.
Its a good move but still too little too late.
This all seems to be part of the bigger game. People of FATA are were fierce, tribal people for whom pride matters the most. The could take take it as an insult from the federation and might revolt against Pakistan. Remember it is the Tribal region which decided to be a part of Pakistan and not Afghanistan, in 1947. The government should be more cautious in this regard. Instead of this measure they can upstart the polio vaccination campaign in a big way with help from local clerics, ulemas and can get help from JUI(F) and all religious political parties. I think this is not a wise decision...
@Polpot: A genius with no job. If you have believed in the Einstein's mantra ' genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration' chances are you can get a job.
This makes good reading for you(no xenophobic thoughts here).
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-geniuses-dont-have-jobs/
So FATA is now the ubiquitous Pakistan and the rest of Pakistan is the west and the rest of the world.
"WHO reports that two samples of sewage water from Peshawar tested negative for polio virus."
Is that not meaningful enough?
If IK (and jehangir tareens advertisement campaign wasn't there), these sewerages would have tested positive, drones hovering in the sky, an operation being carried out with Taliban extremists wandering around the streets of Pakistan blowing themselves up and probably exploding in the over budgeted and overrated metro buses.
Look at the bigger picture, a strong opposition has made the government take decisions that benefitted the entire lot!
This is not the solution, these Nooras always believe in ad-hoc measures.
@Aamer Khawaja:
What about Karachi then ? Should we immunize them before entering into the rest of Pakistan
Why just FATA why not entire KP ? In Karachi many migrants are from other places in KP including Afghan refugees who are spreading this disease.
@reader: " we do not need your advice" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Those who are most in need of advice are least apt to heed to it. Hence I shed my genuis in the service of Pakistan.
@Uzair Malik:
18th Amendment has devolved most issues including health to the province. Instead of blowing the hollow trumpet of CHANGE and Jahangir Tareen making millions through advertisement campaigns on eradication of polio in KPK, the PTI government should have done something meaningful.
While the populist Imran Khan talks and demonstrates, the Prime Minister of the country acts, decisively and with prudence. KPK Government could have acted in similar manner. Even certain commentators are now playing the devil's advocate and questning this thought through very simple and straight forward move.
Rex Minor
Saying this is good......making sure its implemented would be much better.
I am an Indian and Nawaz is doing the needful. Nobody can be satisfied. He is a good man and good for your country after bhutoo. Give time and space and he will deliver. He has a heavy load to take care.i am not saying this because I am a Punjabi but living in west Bengal, my heart goes for the welfare of us all...Indian and Pakistani. Rab rakha
@Polpot.. start minding your own business and shed your genious comments on the problems of your country india.. we do not need your advice
Great move. Polio vaccination refusals must be penalized.
I think neither people or Govt. Of Pak knows anything about polio vaccination. This polio vac. during pulse polio programme Is not to protect the individual or the child from polio. OPV contains attenuated P virus. The disease causing virus is wild polio virus. When we give it in mass, in one day in whole of country , wild virus is replaced by attenuated virus in the children's gut& wild virus is thrown out in stools & get killed bcs it can't survive outside gut. So whole wild virus is killed in the country. Idea of giving OPV to adults is same. So that they don't carry P V in their gut to other country. IPV is of no use for this purpose. It is duty of your health deptt. to educate the people.
Dr. H.S.Sran
"PM makes polio vaccination mandatory for travellers from FATA to other provinces" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Under what provisIon of Law? Mr Khan pls raise this in the SC! BTW is this a reccomendation or a restriction...a la FO??
Wow...Some one just woke up!
This statement may/shall be the cause/reason of the hatred and prejudice within FATA and other parts of Pakistan or people of FATA and other provinces.Very well done Nawaz Sharif.....
Some will give it an ethic color (read: punjabi hegemony) but I think this is a very good step, its extremely important to curb the spread of virus from people who are unwilling to take the drops out of fear of 'infertility', this is the most lenient punishment for them.
Dear PM Please also inform us exactlky how are we going to ensure that? We cant even lay barbed wire across the durand line, from where terrorists openly cross by and even wage wars on their opponents.