Islamabad, June 26 (ANI): In yet another setback to the polio eradication campaign in Pakistan, the Mullah Nazir group in South Waziristan has banned polio vaccinations in the agency till the United States halts all drone strikes in the tribal region.
According to the Taliban, Western powers are running a spy network in the region in the garb of immunisation. They cited the example of Dr Shakil Afridi, the doctor who helped the CIA hunt down Osama bin Laden by conducting a fake polio vaccination programme in Abbottabad, reports The Express Tribune.
Earlier, warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur banned the administration of oral polio vaccine to children in North Waziristan, also demanding cessation of U.S. drone attacks.
They compared polio drops to sugar-coated poison, adding that Western powers had never been loyal to Muslims.
"If they (the United States and its allies) were so sincere with the Muslims, then why did they bomb us so mercilessly," read a pamphlet distributed by the Taliban.
The leaflet also discussed the psychological effect drone strikes have had on children in the tribal region.
"On the one hand, they are killing innocent children in drone strikes, while on the other hand they are saving their lives by vaccinating them ... it's like a wolf in sheep's clothing," the pamphlet said.
The decision to ban polio vaccination was taken by the higher council of North Waziristan Mujahideen, according to the pamphlet, which also warned all polio teams to bring their campaign to a close or accept responsibility for any future mishap. (ANI)