PHC Takes up Petition Against Polio Vaccine
The Peshawar High Court issued a notice to the WHO and federal and provincial health secretaries in a writ petition seeking closure of the polio eradication program in the country because it affected the human reproductive system.
Ghulam Nabi, an advocate of the high court, has filed the petition claiming that scientists had found that the polio vaccine contained a harmful toxic – Estrogen – which had a direct effect on the human reproductive system. He called for suspending the anti-polio program till disposal of the petition.
A bench of the high court issued the notice to the WHO through Dr Ibraham, head of the NWFP WHO polio eradication initiative, federation of Pakistan through the federal health secretary and health secretaries of the four provinces.
The petitioner’s counsel said the supply of what he called contaminated vaccine not only was against Articles 4, 9 and 35 of the Constitution which guaranteed protection of life and family but also violated the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, etc. He wondered why Estrogen, which had nothing to do with eradication of polio, was included in the vaccine.
Only Polio-Free Children to Get Saudi Visa
The Saudi Arabian government has reportedly banned the travel of polio-stricken children from Sindh under the age of 15, a media report said on April 27.
The Arab government has also apparently made it mandatory for children of this age group to present a medical polio-free certificate while applying for a visa. The authorities would check this certificate once the child lands in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabian Consul General said that if the new rules were not followed the child would not be issued a visa. He asked the Sindh health secretary to inform people of the change in guidelines.
VIOLENCE
Boy Burnt to Death
Unidentified attackers poured petrol over a 14-year-old boy and burnt him to death near a Muslim shrine in Karachi, on June 25 police said. Ayaz Gul was attacked outside the shrine of a famous Sufi saint. Witnesses told police that they had rushed to save the teenager after a gang had set fire to him before fleeing the scene. Although the boy was rushed to the hospital, his injuries were too severe for him to survive. Police were also investigating complaints that doctors and policemen at the hospital did not act promptly to save his life. “He was given treatment after some four hours, which is criminal and his statement was also not recorded by police, which is mysterious,” police said.
Boy Dies of Toxic Waste
At least one boy died and another lost his leg and many more were under treatment after being exposed to toxic waste dumped by an industrial owner in a ground in Karachi.
The children were using the open space as a play ground, which became death trap for them. According to the people living in the area, dumping of waste and garbage at the site was going on for a long time, but the hazardous material was added to the waste some weeks back. The owner and manager of the factory dumping the waste were arrested.
Anti-Trafficking Unit Set Up
The government has established an anti- human trafficking unit at the interior ministry to monitor human trafficking cases and provide protection to the victims, official sources said on June 14. A similar unit had already been established in Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) headquarters but the agency did not provide data on human traffickers, cases and victims to the ministry. SPARC is a member of the Anti-trafficking unit.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has been facing a significant internal trafficking problem reportedly involving thousands of women and children trafficked from rural areas and sold to settle debts and disputes or forced into sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, or marriage. Unconfirmed estimates of victims of bonded labor in the brick, glass, carpet and fishing industries are in millions.
The government has formulated a national plan of action to combat trafficking in persons, approved a special cell within the ministry to coordinate its anti-trafficking response, trained police officers, attorneys and judges on anti-trafficking measures and made progress in investigating trafficking cases. Despite all these measures, the government has so far failed to curb internal trafficking.
Little Girls Move PHC Against Jirga’s Verdict
Two girls filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the verdict of a tribal Jirga ordering one of them to be married to a man as Swara (exchange). The two sisters, 11-year-old Sanad and nine-year-old Shah Izzat of Upper Dir, have submitted their petitions in the name of their father, Haji Tazamin.
The petition said that a woman, Fauzia, was married to their uncle around six months ago. Another man, Sangeen, claimed two months after the wedding that Fauzia’s father had betrothed her to him six months ago, the petition said. It said that a Jirga was convened without the consent of the girls or their father, where it was decided that one of the girls would have to marry Sangeen as Swara for Fauzia’s “betrayal” of having married their uncle while being engaged to someone else. The petition said that the Jirga had also confiscated a car belonging to Tazamin to ensure that he complied with its verdict.
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