PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Shaukat Yousafzai said the PTI has always supported opening of a Taliban office in Peshawar, as the process of dialogue would not be possible in caves and mountains.
He said this while addressing the launching ceremony of the 6th phase of Sehat Ka Insaf programme here at the Cantonment Hospital Peshawar.
He said that the PTI has always supported dialogue process with Taliban and in this connection a proper location and proper office will be needed.
Talking to media persons, the minister reiterated that the provincial government would continue its efforts for complete elimination of polio and other childhood disease from Peshawar. He also lauded the efforts of PTI volunteers, police and health workers for making the Sehat Ka Insaf programme successful.
When asked about the ongoing negotiations process, he said the dialogue is the only way for establishment of sustainable peace in the country. He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government would extend any cooperation in the peace talks. In this regard, he said the PTI Chairman Imran Khan had also made a demand for establishment of Taliban office.
The minister said it was need of the hour to make peace process successful. He urged the government and Taliban to move forward the talks seriously aimed at establishing durable peace in the country. He also stressed both sides should announce complete ceasefire. About the presentation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in the peace negotiations committee, he said the consultation being underway in this regard.
Regarding the PTI health campaign, he said that so far provincial health department vaccinated more than 700,000 children polio drops in 95 union councils under the sixth round on Sunday, which held amidst tight security.
Around 4,000 teams, including PTI volunteers, lady health workers, and teachers constituted to administer polio drops to children below age of five along with vaccination other eight childhood diseases. Besides, the awareness pamphlets and booklets regarding nine childhood diseases also distributed among 0.3million targeted families in Peshawar.
Stringent security steps were taken for protection polio vaccinators, as 3,000 police personnel deployed in Peshawar. The district administration also banned motorbike riding from 8:00 Am to 5:00 pm to avert any untoward incident during the special vaccination drive.
It is to mention here that due to security concerns, the campaign was not carried out in Sulman Khel and Sheikhan adjacent localities of Peshawar. According to sources despite tall claims of the government for breaking of records in anti-polio drops, a number of refusal cases also appeared since launched of Sehat Ka Insaf Programme in January 08, 2014. Most of parents were reluctant to give polio drops to their children, the sources added.
Zaheer Younis, a focal person of Sehat Ka Insaf also admitted that around 2200 refusal cases were reported during the special anti-polio drive in Peshawar.