Polio eradication ‘in sight’ as no new case reported in two months
ISLAMABAD: The governemnt is hopeful that efforts to eradicate the poliovirus are bearing fruit as no new case of the crippling disease has been reported in more than two months.
Pakistan, one of the only two polio-endemic countries in the world, reported 74 cases in 2024. In the first two months of the current year, six more cases of the poliovirus were reported from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.
However, the last case of 2025 was reported on February 10.
A meeting to review polio eradication efforts, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, was informed that the break in the spread of the virus was due to rigorous nationwide polio vaccination campaigns.
The PM commended the relevant government institutions, international organisations and partners who are working to make Pakistan polio-free.
PM flays critics of govt plans to use PDL for highway construction in Balochistan
He directed the relevant authorities to ensure awareness and community mobilisation regarding the polio vaccination campaigns across the country.
“It must be ensured that every child under five years of age is administered the polio vaccine during the anti-polio campaign starting from April 21,” PM Shehbaz added.
The prime minister emphasised that, alongside polio, routine immunisation campaigns for protection against other dangerous diseases should also be fully ensured.
“Despite challenging conditions, healthcare workers participating in anti-polio campaigns are playing a frontline role in the fight against this disease,” the prime minister said, adding the entire nation, including himself, was proud of the hardworking vaccinators.
During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on the upcoming vaccination campaign from April 21 to 27, during which 4.5 million children will be targeted. A total of 415,000 polio workers will participate in the campaign.
The PM was told that, as per his instructions, a third-party validation of the campaign will be completed from April 28 to 30. Moreover, the cold chain tracking of the anti-polio campaigns is being monitored under a digital system.
PM flays detractors
Separately, the prime minister has flayed the critics of his government’s plans to build a highway in Balochistan from the revenue generated through additional tax on petrol.
The prices of petroleum products were expected to go down by Rs10 for two weeks starting April 15 due to lower oil prices in the global market.
However, the government decided not to pass on the relief to consumers and kept the prices unchanged by instead increasing the petroleum development levy (PDL) on petrol, high-speed diesel and high-octane by Rs10 from Rs70 to Rs80 per litre.
The prime minister announced that funds raised through the increase in PDL levy will be spent on development projects in Balochistan, particularly for the reconstruction of the N-25 Highway.
However, the decision not to lower oil prices has been criticised by many, most notably by former finance minister Miftah Ismail.
Mr Ismail said the federal government was only generating more funds for itself through PDL — which is not distributed among provinces — as no projects have been approved for Balochistan.
While addressing an event to lay the foundation of Jinnah Square Murree Road Underpass in Islamabad on Thursday, the PM censured the detractors, saying the decision to divert funds for Balochistan’s development is “supported by the entire nation”.
“People of Pakistan have wholeheartedly accepted the government’s decision,” Mr Sharif claimed, calling the critics “short-sighted” and “insincere” to the people of Balochistan.
“Equal development of all the provinces is important for the overall development of the country.”
The N-25 Highway, connecting Karachi with Chaman, has claimed “over 2,000 lives”, the PM said, vowing to turn the dangerous road into an international-standard highway.
He emphasised the dualisation of the N-25 highway was not just a road project, but “a gift to the people of Balochistan”.
The PM recalled that the plan to improve the road was conceived in 2022-23 with an estimated cost of Rs214 billion. Now, the cost has exceeded Rs 300bn.
The project is expected to be completed within two years.
He said the share of Balochistan in the 2010 NFC award was doubled from the previous distribution — an initiative led by Punjab at a time when he was the chief minister.
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2025