ISLAMABAD: The outbreak of a hitherto unknown strain of polio virus in Qilla Abdullah and Pishin areas has set alarm bells ringing and prompted the centre to ask the Balochistan government to launch an anti-polio campaign in the province within 30 days.
Ten cases of the new virus, named ‘Sabin-like type 2 poliovirus’, were reported in two Pakhtun-dominated districts of the province over the past three weeks.
The districts are frequented by people from the troubled areas of Fata. The situation is grim because of refusal by parents to get their children vaccinated against the crippling disease as the areas are under the influence of extremist groups opposed to the anti-polio drive.
“The extremists belonging to Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan have established their cells in Balochistan and warn people against vaccination of their children,” said Zohra Yusuf, chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
She said an HRCP team had visited Pishin and Qilla Abdullah in May to meet the local people and it was revealed that extremists had established their camps and were involved in killing people from Punjab.
Internews
