Tribal jirga backs vaccination ban

[karan.1970]

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Tribal jirga backs vaccination ban | DAWN.COM

MIRAMSHAH, July 18: A grand jirga of tribal elders, tasked by the government to persuade militant groups to allow polio vaccination, informed the administration on Wednesday that the ban on immunisation in Waziristan would continue till drone attacks were stopped.

A source privy to the meeting told Dawn that in plain words the pro-government jirga had endorsed the ban imposed by a Taliban group on polio campaign in North Waziristan.

The jirga of tribal elders, ulema and political authorities, held at the Governor’s Circuit House here, discussed ways of resuming polio vaccination in North Waziristan. It was attended by about 300 tribal elders and prominent ulema from across the tribal agency. Prominent among them were Maulvi Salim Gul, Malak Shah Jehan, Malak Nasrullah Khan, Malak Qadar Khan, Malak Mamoor Khan and Malak Amanullah.

Political Agent Siraj Ahmed Khan briefed the jirga on the importance of the campaign. Agency Surgeon Dr Muhammad Sadiq, Assistant Political Agent Shah Tasleem Khan and the local tehsildar were present on the occasion.

Leaders of the jirga told the government functionaries that the ban imposed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group would continue till the stoppage of drone strikes because innocent people, including children and women, were being killed in such attacks.

However, the jirga stressed the need for continuing dialogue and decided that effort would continue to be made to sort out the issue amicably.

Representing the jirga, Malak Qadir Khan said it was ready to talk to the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan’s group if a ‘peace committee’ set an appointment with the militants’ leader.

The five-member peace committee was given a mandate by the government as well as tribal elders to mediate with the Taliban and persuade them to lift the ban. The committee includes Khan Faraz, Malak Rais Khan, Malak Haji Sarfaraz and Mufti Sadiqullah.

About 162,000 children in North Waziristan are at the risk of polio because of refusal by tribal people and imposition of the ban by the Taliban group on vaccination.

Malak Mamoor Khan, chief of Turikhel tribe, told the authorities that drone strikes were more dangerous than polio virus because a child rarely died of polio while hundreds of children were being killed by drones.

He showed photographs of children slain and maimed in drone attacks.

The political agent said polio was a deadly disease that couldn’t be treated and an affected child became a life-time burden for the family. He said the government wanted to curb polio virus in the tribal region.

The official urged the jirga to convey the government’s message to ‘estranged tribal people’ (Taliban groups) that protecting children from polio virus was necessary for a healthy generation in the region.

He asked the jirga to cooperate with the government in restoring peace and carrying out development work. He said it was the responsibility of the elders to cooperate in development of the backward region.

The tribal elders offered cooperation to the administration for speeding up development work.


Bloody Morons!! Their logic is.... Because USA is killing our people, we will start killing our children

[Safriz]

Karan on the troll...Again...

Some people never learn...

[karan.1970]

Karan on the troll...Again...

Some people never learn...

??? what???

dont tell me that you support this ban ....

[Don Jaguar]

Illiteracy is our biggest enemy.

[Safriz]

??? what???

dont tell me that you support this ban ....

Tribal areas don't come under Pakistani legislation and Federal government cannot impose vaccination on them..If the want their own kids to walk with bent legs so be it...
The ban is on Door to door vaccination which has been used by CIA for spying already and people of that area don't want unknown people knocking their doors for access..Their area is already suffering deaths on daily basis by drone attacks so their skepticism is understandable.Anybody in their sows will do same or similar.
The ban isn't on Vaccination in general.Anybody who want vaccination can come to nearest District Hospital and get their kids vaccinated for free anyway..

[karan.1970]

Tribal areas don't come under Pakistani legislation and Federal government cannot impose vaccination on them..If the want their own kids to walk with bent legs so be it...
The ban is on Door to door vaccination which has been used by CIA for spying already and people of that area don't want unknown people knocking their doors for access..Their area is already suffering deaths on daily basis by drone attacks so their skepticism is understandable.Anybody in their sows will do same or similar.
The ban isn't on Vaccination in general.Anybody who want vaccination can come to nearest District Hospital and get their kids vaccinated for free anyway..

Did you even read the OP??


PS: I thought tribal areas were fedrally administered...

[KRAIT]

Why not establish vaccination camps and invite people through trusted people instead of going door to door. If they want to have solution, they can easily find it but no one can make them believe if they have made up their mind

[INDIC]

The ban is on Door to door vaccination which has been used by CIA for spying already and people of that area don't want unknown people knocking their doors for access.

Rumors against Polio vaccine is 7-8years old much before Shakil Afridi incidents. Because of that rumors, government of India has to spend billions of extra dollars and extra years to eradicate polio.

[Safriz]

Did you even read the OP??


PS: I thought tribal areas were fedrally administered...

i read it...you didn't..

Rumors against Polio vaccine is 7-8years old much before Shakil Afridi incidents. Because of that rumors by government of India has to spend billions of extra dollars and extra years to eradicate polio.

Why do you think foreign agencies will bother to spend billion of their money on vaccinating children in Pakistan/india?
there has to be a catch..
and that catch has been changing over the years...
Currently its door to door access in hard to access areas for espionage..

The remedy is to create camps outside villages and let people come the camps instead of the likes of Dr.Shakil Afridi knocking peoples doors

[truthseer]

People still won't come to the camps. According to them it contains one or more than one of the following
1) Alcohol
2) Pork
3) Steriliser
4) Urine
5) Cow's Urine
6) Human flesh
7) Semen
8) Poison
9) Polio itself

[ajtr]

Tribal areas don't come under Pakistani legislation and Federal government cannot impose vaccination on them..If the want their own kids to walk with bent legs so be it...
The ban is on Door to door vaccination which has been used by CIA for spying already and people of that area don't want unknown people knocking their doors for access..Their area is already suffering deaths on daily basis by drone attacks so their skepticism is understandable.Anybody in their sows will do same or similar.
The ban isn't on Vaccination in general.Anybody who want vaccination can come to nearest District Hospital and get their kids vaccinated for free anyway..

Even if in tribal areas come under Jirga regulations isnt it the fedral govt.'s duty to Educate the jirga elders about the health care and dispel there doubts so that they dont support such bans.Even if tribal comes under jirga rules they are pakistani citizen first tribal second.Dont you think Federal govt. is running away from its duties ?Even there were fatwas in india too against polio vaccination from muslim community in backward UP bihar but Govt constantly engaged these religious leaders with sustained media campaign and engagements (they even used Bollywood stars like amitabh for campaigning as he has more impact on them) to dispel their doubts about polio vaccination.result of which is right in front of u.

People still won't come to the camps. According to them it contains one or more than one of the following
1) Alcohol
2) Pork
3) Steriliser
4) Urine
5) Cow's Urine
6) Human flesh
7) Semen
8) Poison
9) Polio itself

When there is misinformation is being spread then solution is to engage the tribal leaders and religious leaders with sustained campaign.

[karan.1970]

i read it...you didn't..

Why do you think foreign agencies will bother to spend billion of their money on vaccinating children in Pakistan/india?
there has to be a catch..
and that catch has been changing over the years...
Currently its door to door access in hard to access areas for espionage..

The remedy is to create camps outside villages and let people come the camps instead of the likes of Dr.Shakil Afridi knocking peoples doors

Ah Well.. They say every one gets what they deserve.. Reading such posts reaffirms my belief in that...

[mjnaushad]

Rumors against Polio vaccine is 7-8years old much before Shakil Afridi incidents. Because of that rumors, government of India has to spend billions of extra dollars and extra years to eradicate polio.

Up until 2oo4 polio graph was going lower and there were news of polio to be eliminated soon but when peace errupted in that region it gave polio a boost... and then cases like shakeel afridi are didnt help at all....

[ajtr]

Why do you think foreign agencies will bother to spend billion of their money on vaccinating children in Pakistan/india?
there has to be a catch..
and that catch has been changing over the years...

One of the main reason i found in india among muslims opposing the polio vaccination back in 2004 when we were volunteering from our college for the yearly vaccination program and campaign was that it sterile the child It was too difficult to dispel there fears but wasnt impossible.And btw increase in population of south asia does prove their fears wrong.Even saudi Arab insists on polio vaccination for people going on Haj.saudi arab example can be best for tribal of pakistan to dispel their fears about polio.And when you say that there is some western conspiracy in polio campaign in india i can do nothing but simply laugh at your ignorance.

[IndoUS]

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Rumors are always going to be there, even in India the tribal people didn't trust the doctors and the government official when the first started the free vaccination program. But over time when government started the information and education program where the people can learn about the disease and the importance of the vaccine they started to turn away from these rumors. Best thing to do is setup programs to teach people about the disease.