Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday took strict notice of a newly reported polio case in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan and directed relevant authorities to strengthen immunisation efforts across the country.
During a meeting with Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal and Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio, Ayesha Raza Farooq, the prime minister expressed deep concern over the case and emphasized the urgency of taking corrective action, the PM Office said in a press release.
He instructed authorities to implement strict monitoring in union councils where polio cases continue to emerge and immunisation performance remains inadequate.
Despite multiple nationwide vaccination drives, Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where the poliovirus continues to circulate.
The prime minister also acknowledged the serious challenges posed by attacks on polio workers, particularly in remote areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where militant threats have hampered door-to-door vaccination campaigns.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to eradicating polio, PM Shehbaz emphasized that targeted monitoring and community engagement are essential to achieving a polio-free Pakistan.
