Orakzai tribe announces boycott of courts, vaccination

HANGU: The Khassadars and Levies force personnel in Orakzai district have refused to perform duty during the anti-polio drive, health officials said on Monday.

District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Nawab Ali told reporters by telephone that polio vaccinators were working in the areas where there was no security threat.

However, he said that the Khassadars and the Levies have refused to escort the vaccinators in the sensitive areas. The official said that the Khassadars and the Levies officials wanted the government to merge their services into the police force.

Dr Meraj, an anti-polio campaign in-charge in lower Orakzai, confirmed the development, saying that the Khassadars and Levies personnel had refused to provide security to their 261 teams working in the sensitive areas.

Meanwhile, the Orakzai tribe also announced to boycott the anti-polio drive and the local courts until the Khassadar and Levies personnel were merged into the police force.

Local elders, including Bismillah Khan, Malik Qasim Gul, Malik Mohammad Rehman and others, told a jirga at the district headquarters that they would not file cases at courts until their demand was met.

They also announced a boycott of the anti-polio drive. The elders said that anyone violating the decision of the jirga would be fined Rs5 million.