Authorities convince Torghar Jirga not to boycott polio drive

MANSEHRA: Tribesmen of Judbah Kalay in Torghar district on Monday announced to boycott polio vaccination in protest against the absence of education, health and road infrastructure facilities. However, officials concerned later convinced the jirga members not to boycott the vaccination drive.

“Though Torghar was given the status of a settled district in 2011, we still face a lack of basic facilities,” Ghulam Hakeem, an elder, told a jirga held in Judbah Kalay on Monday. The Jirga asked parents not to vaccinate their children until the facilities mentioned were provided.

It happened for the first time in any jirga where youngsters were holding placards inscribed with their demands.

Another elder, Mohammad Akram, said they were without the basic services and widely dependent on the neighbouring districts for education and health facilities.

“Our district is without degree and technical colleges and local students go to other parts of the province for education. Also, the government should increase the number of scholarships for our children,” said Akram.

The sudden refusal by the parents regarding polio vaccination compelled the officials of district administration and police to rush to the jirga and tackle the issue amicably. “We, the district administration, would take all your demands to the government for the early solution but you should not boycott the polio drive in the larger national interest,” Fazlur Rehman, the additional assistant commissioner, told the jirga.

The jirga, after a lengthier discussion, withdrew its decision of boycott, but said they would again announce a boycott of the future campaigns if the government did not at least increase the number of scholarships for the local students before the upcoming drive.