BAJAUR/MOHMAND/KOHAT: Tribesmen in Bajaur, Mohmand, and Kohat districts have announced boycotts of the ongoing anti-polio campaign due to delays in local road construction projects.
In Bajaur, residents of Enzari in Khar tehsil halted the anti-polio drive, citing the delay in completing the Lowi Sam-Anbar road. The construction, which began three years ago, has been stalled for the past two years. Protesters blocked the road and claimed that despite notifying officials and lawmakers, no progress had been made. Local health officials confirmed that some Enzari residents refused to let polio teams vaccinate their children. Efforts are ongoing to address the issue and end the boycott.
Similarly, in the hilly Barang tehsil of Bajaur, residents of Nazar Mena protested the suspension of the Warsak-Nazar Mena road project. Construction, which started on November 6, 2021, was halted on June 6, 2022.
In Mohmand, tribesmen from Halimzai tehsil announced a boycott of the polio campaign over delays in the Khapakh border highway project. Work on the road has been stalled for six years, prompting a boycott by elders from Sultankhel, Barokhel, Surdag, and Prata villages. They have vowed to continue the boycott until construction resumes.
Residents of Ambar tehsil also joined the boycott, demanding the construction of the Ambar to Ekkaghund road.
In Kohat, Boraka residents initially boycotted the campaign over the demolition of their primary school five years ago. However, they agreed to resume vaccination after a meeting with Deputy Commissioner Abdul Kalam, who approved the construction of a new school building. The deputy commissioner authorized the construction of two classrooms and a boundary wall, leading to the end of the boycott on the condition that work on the school begins promptly.
District officials, including Assistant Commissioner Usman Hamza and Health Communication and Support Officer Mohammad Younas Khan, are working to resolve the issues and persuade locals to end their boycotts.
