Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has announced that the provincial government is considering strict measures against parents who refuse Polio Vaccination for their children.
During a high-level meeting on the province’s polio eradication efforts, the Chief Minister warned that refusal to vaccinate could soon lead to the blocking of mobile SIM cards, suspension of national identity cards (CNICs), and even passports of such parents.
Murad Ali Shah said that Polio Vaccination is a national responsibility and neglecting it endangers not only one’s own family but also the entire community. “I have no other option but to take firm action against those who continue to ignore their duty,” he said.
The Chief Minister directed Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah to draft a detailed proposal outlining the legal process for blocking SIMs and CNICs of individuals refusing the vaccine. He also announced the formation of a Polio Vaccine Refusal Cell at the CM House to track and engage families who reject Polio Vaccination campaigns.
This cell will maintain detailed data from each union council and coordinate with district officials to persuade parents through social, political, and administrative means.
Expressing concern over the continued detection of new polio cases, Murad Ali Shah instructed health and district authorities to intensify vaccination drives and improve field performance. He also warned that officers showing negligence would be removed from their positions.
The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of covering nomadic families and hard-to-reach populations during upcoming campaigns, especially across Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions.
So far, Sindh has reported nine confirmed cases of polio this year, including two in the past month. Across Pakistan, 29 cases have been recorded — 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Sindh government reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating polio from the province and ensuring that every child receives complete Polio Vaccination for a safer and healthier future.
In other related news also read Polio vaccination now mandatory for Pakistani Umrah pilgrims
