(MENAFN- Tribal News Network)
In the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Marwat Tribal Jirga has announced a boycott of the polio vaccination campaign. The jirga cites the government's inaction in recovering abducted employees of the Pakistan Atomic energy Commission (PAEC) as the reason for the boycott. The jirga declares that polio drops will not be administered to children across the district until the kidnapped workers are safely recovered.
In January 2025, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) abducted 18 employees of the PAEC in Lakki Marwat, setting their vehicle on fire. Following the incident, the TTP released 10 sick employees, whom the Pakistani military later claimed to have rescued during an operation. However, a video circulated on social media showed the abductees running toward an armored vehicle, raising questions about the military's narrative.
In a strong protest, the Marwat Tribal Jirga gathered at the main Eidgah of Lakki Marwat city, swearing on the Quran that every tribe member must adhere to the jirga's decisions. Former Tehsil Nazim Hidayatullah Khan Isakhel, the jirga head, announced that the boycott of the polio campaign would continue until the hostages were freed.
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Meanwhile, MNA Sher Afzal Marwat initially distanced himself from the boycott, opposing the jirga's decision and stating that he did not support halting the polio campaign. His remarks triggered a backlash on social media, with critics accusing him of endangering the lives of the abducted tribe members.
A day later, Sher Afzal Marwat reversed his stance, supporting the Marwat Tribal Jirga's decision. In a social media statement, he affirmed his solidarity with the tribe, claiming that while he was not consulted on the decision, he would fully cooperate with the jirga elders for the sake of the community.
The boycott now poses a serious threat to the ongoing polio campaign in Lakki Marwat, potentially leaving over 205,000 children unvaccinated. The five-day anti-polio drive, which began on February 3 and was scheduled to run until February 7, aimed to vaccinate children under five in the district's 40 union councils.
This development adds to the challenges faced by health authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where polio vaccination campaigns frequently encounter resistance due to security concerns and local grievances.
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