March 13: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Samiul Haq-(JUI-S) is committed to eradication of polio from Pakistan, said Maulana Irfan ul Haq Haqqani, Vice President of the Party at the briefing session organized by PILDAT on Enhancing the Effectiveness of Anti-Polio Vaccination Programme.

He said JUI-S is committed that they will remove negative perception of polio vaccine by publically giving polio drops to their own children and will highlight the negative impact of Polio on population at private and public gatherings, talk shows and other interactions. He said that a system of vaccination cards of Polio should be introduced in the country so cases can be monitored properly. He added that cultural differences should be considered in Waziristan during polio vaccination campaigns by polio teams.

He suggested that in order to reduce resistance against polio campaigns in Waziristan, World Health Organization-WHO and United National Children�s Fund-UNICEF should condemn US drone attacks in WANA and issue statements in media against illegal strikes.

Earlier, Dr. Pervaiz Yousaf, Federal Surveillance Officer, World Health Organization (WHO) briefed the JUI-S Members on the Status of �How Political Parties Oversee the operations of Expended Programme of Immunization. He said that Political Oversight includes National Task Force for Polio Eradication, National Steering Committee, President�s Polio Oversight Committee, PM Polio monitoring & coordination cell, Provincial Task Force / Steering Committee (PSC) and District Polio Eradication Committee (DPEC).

Emphasizing on role of political parties Dr. Shamsher Khan, High Risk Coordinator, UNICEF said that political parties can ensure polio is a part of their party�s manifesto and lobby for commitment from their party�s leadership for continuity during the coming election period and beyond. He said that political parties may remove negative perception of polio vaccine by publically giving polio drops to their children. He said that parties can report cases of official lethargy, negligence and issues that affect Polio campaigns. He added that parties may nominate a polio focal person within the party leadership who may coordinate for polio campaign.

The Briefing session with JUI-S is a follow-up meeting of the �All Parties Conference� on Polio Eradication-A National Emergency in Pakistan held on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 in Islamabad where 14 major political parties signed a Joint Declaration while committing that Eradication of Polio will be carried out by the Political Parties in their coming Election Manifestos.

Members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Samiul Haq-(JUI-S) who participated in the Briefing Session included Maulana Irfan ul Haq Haqqani, Vice President of the JUI-S, Molana Asim Makhdoom, Central, Information Secretary, JUI-S, Mufti Saifuddin Saif, Senior Member, JUI-S, Islamabad, Maulana Attaur-Rehman Leghari, Senior Member, JUI-S, Islamabad, Maulana M. Siddiquie, Joint Secretary, JUI-S, Akora Khattak, Mulana Shah Hussain, Chief, Al-Haq Trust, , JUI-S and Muhammad Israr Madni, P.S. to President, JUI-S, Peshawar.

Addressing the Briefing Session, Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President PILDAT, said that PILDAT organised the Briefing Session to facilitate an understanding among senior members of JUI-S on the need to tackle the menace of polio. He also asked JUI-S members to study the PILDAT Briefing Paper on Polio Eradication: a National Emergency in Pakistan which can be accessed at http://www.pildat.org/Publications/publication/PublicHealth/PolioEradicationANationalEmergencyinPakistan_Nov2012.pdf