PESHAWAR: Police registered cases against 160 people in Nowshera after they refused to administer polio vaccine to their children during the ongoing anti-polio campaign in the district — 10 people have also been arrested in this regard.

The case was registered under Section 144 in Nowshera Kalan police station after the parents refused to let their children receive anti-polio drops.

According to police sources, the case was registered following the complaint of Union Council’s official Akbar Ali. Police officials have initiated a crack down to arrest the remaining accused.

DIG Nowshera had ordered implementation of Section 144 in the wake of anti-polio vaccination campaign in the district. He had ordered police to take strict action against those who intervene and stop health teams administering polio drops to children below five years of age.

Read: Lab tests show polio vaccine is not ‘Haram’

According to data available with Dawn, 96 per cent polio cases so far reported are among the Pashto-speaking population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata and out of these, residents of North Waziristan Agency's Wazir tribe accounted for 34 per cent of the cases. Earlier in September, 2015, KP had reported 25 polio cases for the year with at least five traced back to Fata.

Also read: Most victims of polio virus are Pakhtuns

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared that Pakistan is responsible for nearly 80 per cent of polio cases reported globally.

To prevent the possible spread of the polio virus from Pakistan to other countries, the WHO imposed strict travel restrictions on the country.

Militant groups often attack polio teams as they see vaccination campaigns a cover for espionage. There are also long running rumours about polio drops causing infertility.