ABBOTTABAD April 5: The employees of health department including nurses and Lady Health Workers, who were terminated for Dr Shakil Afridi-led fake vaccination campaign to find Osama Bin Laden, have pleaded not guilty before an inquiry committee, saying they had run the campaign on the directives of their high-ups, sources say.

Twenty terminated health workers told an inquiry committee of the department last month that they were innocent and were wrongly implicated. Naseem, a Lady Health Worker, also demanded of Abbottabad Commission to do justice with them as they were penalized wrongly.

She added that she was unable to afford the expenses to challenge their termination in court.She said that they had not been given the termination letter with the fear they might knock the door of appropriate forum to get justice as health department levelled serious allegations against them.

Ms Naseem also asked the Abbottabad Commission to take action against those persons, who were trying to hide the facts and shift their responsibilities to Lady Health Workers.

According to one of the terminated health workers, the inquiry committee has got written statements of the entire suspended employee that the vaccination campaign was carried out on the directives of provincial coordinator, who personally conveyed the order to them through telephone calls.

Similarly, the committee was told that coordinator of National Programme on Immunisation in Abbottabad was timely informed about the directives and was well aware about the entire campaign.

Shaheena, another worker, in her statement to the committee, said that two vaccination campaigns were organised during March and April 2011 against which Altaf Afridi had made payments to workers.

She said that Dr Shakil Afridi himself provided injections, syringes and pamphlets during the drive. She questioned as to how it was possible that coordinator and executive district officer were unaware of the campaign despite the fact that both the officers were present in their offices during Saturday and Sunday holidays.

Meanwhile, the Lady Health Workers, who were removed from their services for ‘their involvement in fake vaccination campaign against national interest’ have decided to challenge the decision in court of law.

Amina Bibi, who took part in the drive just for one day and than refused to accompany Dr Shakil despite the directives of officials concerned, has claimed that the anti-polio campaign continued for almost one month in Nawansher and its surrounding areas.

Everyone in health department was in full knowledge of the drive, she said. She added that they were asked not to move court of law as they would be reinstated.