RAWALPINDI: As many as 1,200 policemen have been deployed with 550 polio vaccination teams in the district to ensure foolproof security during the five-day anti-polio campaign which started on Monday.

City Police Officer (CPO) Mohammad Faisal Rana told Dawn that a comprehensive security plan had been devised to ensure smooth conduct of the campaign and avoid any untoward incident.

He said he himself would be leading the overall security teams and the SSP operations and all SPs would be supervising the security of the anti-polio teams in their respective areas.

He said policemen deployed with the health department teams had been briefed about the campaign and how to perform duty with the teams.

“If anybody refuses or does not allow the polio teams to administer drops to children, they would be convinced to do so instead of registering an FIR or a criminal case against them,” said the CPO.

“However, if anybody tries to create law and other situation or tries to harm the anti-polio teams, they would be treated in accordance with the law.”

On the first day of the drive in Rawalpindi district, no such case came to light, said the CPO.

Regional Police Officer Mohammad Ahsan Tufail (RPO) launched the campaign by administering drops to children at a rural health centre in Kotha Kalan. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ali Randhawa was also present.

The RPO directed the police to ensure foolproof security to avoid any untoward incident during the campaign. He also urged parents to help the government eliminate the crippling disease and save the future of children.

On the other hand, the CPO and the deputy commissioner visited basic health unit at Rahmatabad.

The CPO assured the polio workers that they would be provided foolproof security during the ongoing campaign.

Around 2,000 polio teams, including 1,500 mobile teams, 217 fixed points, 90 transit points, 187 union council medical officers and 400 area in-charges are administering drops to above 740,000 children in the tehsils of Rawalpindi, Taxila, Gujar Khan, Rawalpindi city and Rawalpindi/Chaklala cantonments boards.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2019