I was really shocked & depressed after watching the video of a Sikh pilgrim, 19-20 years old. He had come to Pakistan to attend the religious ceremony of Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj. While entering the Pakistani border, he was making a video from his mobile and was repeatedly saying, “Pakistan is not a polio-free country”. He was repeating the same sentence again and again. I want to raise the point that all of the world is now free from polio so why is Pakistan not out of this disease? This question is a thought-provoking point for every government of the beloved country, that despite spending huge budgets and despite being present in each and every village and city, polio still officially exists in Pakistan. We don’t know what strategy is being followed to eradicate this menace. Polio teams are often attacked in remote parts of the country.

I suggest that every MNA and MPA of a related constituency should be alerted before starting the campaign. It can be more simplified by appointing duties to counsellors. Also, polio teams should be provided full security to avoid losses. In this way, we can easily eradicate this disease. Every councillor should monitor the polio-free drive; if someone still objects or creates any hurdle in the campaign, strict measures should be taken against them. People should be educated through an NGO and in case of failure polio drops should be given forcefully, and police should act accordingly to enforce the efficacy and avoid any unfortunate incident.

I request my fellow countrymen to come forward and play a positive role in eradicating this disease from the beloved motherland; so that our next generations could avoid being crippled.

SHAMIM AHMAD,

Lahore.