Amid mounting murderous attacks on the workers of the polio vaccination programme, specially in the ultra fundamentalist Pakhtoon areas the religious political party the Jamaat-i-Islami has committed itself to complete eradication of polio from Pakistan through an effective anti-polio vaccination programme.
Speaking at the briefing session organised by Pildat on Enhancing the Effectiveness of Anti-Polio Vaccination Programme, JI Secretary General Liaqat Baloch, said his party is committed for the complete eradication of polio from Pakistan. JI will be very happy to work alongside with WHO and Unicef during the anti-polio campaigns. He said that the presence of JI leadership at the meeting is a testimony to the fact that JI takes this problem very seriously and is prepared to go the extra mile for its eradication. JI has added eradication of polio extensively in its manifesto.
He further said that the involvement of a polio worker in the Abbottabad incident has adversely affected the polio campaign and the misconception of American money being used for the purchase of the polio vaccine has to be dispelled for the polio campaigns to succeed in KP and Fata. He also said that the huge network of the political parties should be engaged at grassroots level for polio eradication drives.
Ehsan Ullah Waqas, former MPA Punjab and Vice President Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan also offered the help of the JI-sponsored Alkhidmat Foundation network to support the polio campaigns. He emphasised that WHO and Unicef may chalk out a programme in collaboration with the foundation and they will help in every way as this is a humanitarian issue.
Farid Ahmed Piracha, Deputy Secretary General, JI, while speaking on the occasion, said that the awareness about eradication of polio should be included in the curriculum, and network of schools should be taken on board to make additions to the curricula. He suggested that in order to reduce resistance against polio campaigns in KP, World Health Organisation (WHO) and United National Children's Fund (Unicef) should condemn US drone attacks and issue statements in media against illegal strikes.
Hafiz Sajjid Anwar, Deputy Secretary JI, said that the mosques should be used for organising, educating and administration of polio campaigns. He further said that the Madrassas can play a very effective role in the areas of low literacy rate for raising awareness and demand for vaccination against polio. Ittehad Madrasa Al Dunyia may be approached for spreading the anti-polio messages.
Earlier, Dr Asif Chaudhry, Area Co-ordinator, World Health Organisation (WHO) briefed the JI members on the status of "How Political Parties Oversee the operations of Expended Programme of Immunisation. He said that Political Oversight includes National Task Force for Polio Eradication, National Steering Committee, President's Polio Oversight Committee, PM Polio monitoring and co-ordination cell, Provincial Task Force/Steering Committee (PSC) and District Polio Eradication Committee (DPEC).
Emphasising on role of political parties Dr Naeem Ullah, Health officer, Unicef said that political parties can ensure polio is a part of their party's manifesto and lobby for commitment from their party's leadership for continuity during the coming election period and beyond.
He said that political parties may remove negative perception of polio vaccine by publicly giving polio drops to their children. He said that parties can report cases of official lethargy, negligence and issues that affect polio campaigns. He added that parties may nominate a polio focal person within the party leadership who may co-ordinate for polio campaign.
Members of the Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan who attended the briefing session included: Liaqat Baloch - Secretary General, Dr Farid Ahmed Piracha - Deputy Secretary, Hafiz Sajid Anwar - Deputy Secretary, Syed Waqas Jaffery - Deputy Secretary, Ameer Ul Azeem - Naib Ameer (Punjab), Nazir Ahmed Janjua - Secretary General (Punjab), Mian Maqsood Ahmed - Ameer Jamaat-i-Islami (Lahore), Dr Hafeez Ur Rehman - President Alkhidmat Foundation, Syed Ahsan Ullah Waqas - Vice President AlKhidmat Foundation, Addressing the Briefing Session, Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President PILDAT, said that PILDAT organised the Briefing Session to facilitate an understanding among senior members of JI on the need to tackle the menace of polio. He also asked JI members to study the PILDAT Briefing Paper on Polio Eradication: a National Emergency in Pakistan which can be accessed.
The briefing session with JI is a follow-up meeting of the "All Parties Conference" on Polio Eradication-A National Emergency in Pakistan held on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 in Islamabad where 14 major political parties signed a joint declaration while committing that eradication of polio will be carried out by the Political Parties in their coming election manifestos.
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