FIZA GHAT (Swat), Feb 21: A religious figure in a Swat village has told people not to take any preventive measures against polio ‘as those killed during an outbreak are martyrs’.

Maulana Fazlullah said in a Friday sermon: “I must tell my brothers and sisters that finding a cure (vaccination) for an epidemic before its outbreak is not allowed in Shariat.”

Incidents of misbehaviour with polio vaccination staff have been reported from several areas in NWFP and Fata recently.