MIRAMSHAH: Activists of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F, who are protesting against alleged rigging in the recently-held general elections in PK-111 constituency here, have announced complete boycott of the anti-polio vaccination campaign in North Waziristan tribal district.

The decision was made by JUI-F’s Hafiz Asamuddin, the losing candidate in the elections, on Tuesday.

Flanked by local leaders, he said they would boycott the vaccination campaign against the poliomyelitis in the district to protest the ‘election fraud’.

Election results were tampered with in polling stations in Shawa tehsil to facilitate victory of PTI’s candidate, he said.

North Waziristan tribal district was among the high-risk areas for polio transmission countrywide and was source of concern for the officials. It is one of the three districts in Bannu division which has recorded 25 cases of the 45 recorded nationwide this year so far.

Bannu recorded 17 cases, North Waziristan six and Lakki Marwat two. The emergence of back-to-back cases has prompted the authorities to double the efforts aimed at polio eradication.

The announcement to protest the alleged rigging by denying oral polio vaccine to children against the election victory of PTI’s candidate Mohammad Iqbal Khan from PK-111 will only affect children.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2019