Common cause: Aseefa offers help in anti-polio fight
Daughters of two political foes may form unlikely alliance
ISLAMABAD:
A spurt in polio infections this year is helping to forge an unlikely alliance between the daughters of two political foes – incumbent Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the late Benazir Bhutto.
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari came up with the initiative this week as she offered assistance to Maryam Nawaz Sharif in freeing Pakistan of polio.
The initiative showed up on the social media website, Twitter as well, wherein Aseefa urged Maryam to ensure that the federal government diligently works to provide lady health workers with security especially during polio campaigns.
“I urge Maryam to take more of an active role. I am willing to help in any way for a polio-free Pakistan,” she said. “Our war against polio should not become a byline to sit-ins and petty politics. We need to act now or face isolation.”
Aseefa was the first child in Pakistan to be administered polio drops by her mother. She became Pakistan’s goodwill ambassador for polio eradication in 2012.
The team-up could also be seen in the larger context of a thaw in relations between the PPP and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Both the ruling party and main opposition party are at the receiving end of a bitter campaign started by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek whose leaders have accused them of being venal and complicit in preserving a sham democracy.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2014.
A spurt in polio infections this year is helping to forge an unlikely alliance between the daughters of two political foes – incumbent Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the late Benazir Bhutto.
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari came up with the initiative this week as she offered assistance to Maryam Nawaz Sharif in freeing Pakistan of polio.
The initiative showed up on the social media website, Twitter as well, wherein Aseefa urged Maryam to ensure that the federal government diligently works to provide lady health workers with security especially during polio campaigns.
“I urge Maryam to take more of an active role. I am willing to help in any way for a polio-free Pakistan,” she said. “Our war against polio should not become a byline to sit-ins and petty politics. We need to act now or face isolation.”
Aseefa was the first child in Pakistan to be administered polio drops by her mother. She became Pakistan’s goodwill ambassador for polio eradication in 2012.
The team-up could also be seen in the larger context of a thaw in relations between the PPP and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Both the ruling party and main opposition party are at the receiving end of a bitter campaign started by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek whose leaders have accused them of being venal and complicit in preserving a sham democracy.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2014.