QUETTA/PESHAWAR: Two fresh cases of crippling polio disease were confirmed in Quetta and Peshawar on Tuesday raising this year’s count to 35 across Pakistan.

Sources in Balochistan health department told DawnNews that polio virus was detected in Naqeebullah, a three-year-old boy residing in Eastern bypass area of the city while those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) health department confirmed the virus in a one-year-old girl, Kainat.

Kainat is a resident of Sheikhan rural area of Peshawar.

The polio victim in Quetta was reportedly administered vaccination drops at least seven times by health workers.

Naqeebullah's case came weeks after an anti-polio campaign in Quetta and other 31 districts of Balochistan ended on September 17.

Related Dr Malik Baloch kicks off anti-polio drive in Balochistan

Anti-polio drives in both the province has been marred by instances of terrorism. Health workers have been attacked and killed, while refusal on the part of some parents has further worsened the situation.

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

Read More than 4,000 polio refusal cases documented in Balochistan

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world which have not been able to eradicate the polio-virus while no case of polio virus was reported in Nigeria over a year.

Related Pakistan, Afghanistan only countries left on polio-endemic nations list