CM Murad Shah launches province-wide polio campaign, reaffirms zero-tolerance policy

• The Sindh govt initiates judicial inquiry into Gul Plaza tragedy, now awaiting action from the Chief Justice.

KARACHI (Feb 2): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday launched a province-wide anti-polio campaign by administering polio drops to children under five at the Government Girls and Boys Primary, Secondary and Higher Secondary School, Chanesar Goth.

The week-long drive will run from February 2 to February 8 across the province.

Upon his arrival at the school, the chief minister was received by Minister for Labour Saeed Ghani, Minister for Education Sardar Ali Shah, Additional IG Karachi Azad Khan, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, Secretary School Education Zahid Abbasi, Secretary Health Tahir Sangi, and Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Coordinator Shehryar Memon. Representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, Rotary International, including Aziz Memon and other partner organisations were also present.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the chief minister said that eliminating polio from Sindh was a collective responsibility and a firm commitment of the provincial government. “A polio-free Sindh is our mission, and we will implement a zero-tolerance policy against negligence at every level,” he asserted.

Mr Shah said that during the current campaign, more than 10.5 million children under five would be administered polio drops through door-to-door vaccination. For this purpose, polio teams will visit 8.9 million households across 1,490 union councils in 30 districts of Sindh. More than 80,000 polio workers have been deployed to carry out the campaign.

The chief minister directed the administration to ensure strict monitoring of the campaign at the union council level and warned that action would be taken against individuals or households refusing to cooperate with vaccination teams. He stressed that parents’ cooperation was decisive in winning the fight against polio and instructed that no child should be left unvaccinated.

To ensure the safety of frontline workers, Mr Shah said that more than 21,000 police and Rangers personnel had been deployed for the security of polio teams. “Polio workers are our heroes, and their protection is the responsibility of the government,” he said.

During his visit, the chief minister also went into classrooms, where he personally administered polio drops to children and placed sashes on them, declaring them “Polio Ambassadors.” Addressing the students, he encouraged them to play an active role in spreading awareness about polio within their communities.

Mr Shah noted that polio now exists in only two countries in the world, Pakistan and Afghanistan, which he termed a matter of shame for the nation. “Two drops of polio vaccine can save our children from lifelong disability. The only solution is to eliminate the virus completely from its roots,” he said.

Media talk: Later, speaking to the media, the chief minister again urged parents to fully cooperate with vaccination teams visiting their homes. He advised that if a polio team did not visit a household, parents should immediately approach the nearest Basic Health Unit or inform the local administration to ensure their children are vaccinated.

Mr Shah emphasised that polio eradication efforts must continue until environmental samples test negative for the virus. Citing WHO verification, he categorically stated that polio drops do not cause any illness and appealed to religious scholars, teachers, elected representatives, political leaders and social figures to play their role in convincing people to vaccinate their children.

He further disclosed that he had written to media house owners, requesting them to support the national cause by allocating five to 10 seconds every hour in their bulletins for polio awareness. “This is a national duty, and the media’s cooperation is crucial,” he said.

The chief minister expressed gratitude to WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International and all partner organisations for their continued support in the fight against polio, expressing confidence that Pakistan would soon be free from the crippling disease.

On the polio front, Mr Shah emphasised that parents’ cooperation with vaccination teams was crucial and warned that failure to sustain vaccination efforts could undo recent gains. He recalled that Sindh had nearly eradicated polio in 2018, but the interruption caused by caretaker governments led to a resurgence of cases between 2019 and 2021. With persistent campaigns, he said, cases had been reduced to 31 in 2025. The chief minister reaffirmed that Sindh is committed to completely eradicating polio, describing the campaign as a national duty requiring participation from all sectors of society.

Addressing the anticipated protest by Jamaat-e-Islami leader Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman on February 14, Mr Shah urged political actors to participate in elections rather than resorting to disruptive demonstrations. He stressed that elected representatives derive their mandate from the people and warned that obstructing major public roads, such as Shaheed-e-Millat Road (Shahrah-e-Faisal), would not be tolerated and that strict action would be taken against violators.

On the recent Gul Plaza tragedy, the chief minister said the provincial government had initiated a judicial inquiry and finalised the terms of reference, and was now awaiting action by the chief justice. He confirmed that the families of the victims would receive Rs10 million each in compensation, with 26 cheques already disbursed. He also highlighted ongoing steps to strengthen the fire department and ensure a coordinated disaster response under a unified framework.

The chief minister rejected allegations of using such incidents for political gain, terming them inappropriate. He lauded the collaboration with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in recovering misrecorded forest land and emphasised that Sindh would continue to set governance and transparency benchmarks for other provinces.

On governance, Mr Shah underlined the importance of accountability, noting that any official found underperforming would be removed. He stated that true power rests with Allah, not with social media perceptions.

Concluding, he linked public health and governance, reiterating that polio eradication requires sustained campaigns and collective responsibility for the betterment of society. “Every campaign is a national duty. We must all play our role to protect children and serve society,” he said.