KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh secretary general and parliamentary leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh has stressed the need of supply clean drinking water to backward areas for eradication of polio. He stated this while speaking during a jirga held with the three communities of Gujro Union Council of Gadap Town on Sunday. The protestors ended their boycott of polio vaccination after meeting with the PTI leader. The PTI leader was accompanied by MPA Kareem Bux Gabol, district administration officers and local elders during the jirga, also attended by Akakhel tribal elder Haji Jannat Gul, tribal leader Haji Jahanzeb Barki, DC East Ahmed Ali Siddiqui, DHO Masood Solangi, AC East Muhammad Ali Gopang, SP East Azam Jamali, polio emergency operation center official Azeem Khuwaja and others. Due to the untiring joint efforts of PTI leader Haleem Adil, tribal leaders and district administration, the protesters announced to end polio boycott in union council Gujro and agreed to administer polio drops to their children. Addressing the jirga, Haleem Adil said Gujro was amongst three union councils whose residents had boycotted the polio campaign but now due to our joint efforts they have agreed to end the boycott. He said two days ago Prime Minister Imran Khan during a meeting of taskforce had appealed the citizens to support the polio drive. He said we are thankful to the local people and parents who have announced to allow administering polio drops to their children. Haleem Adil said polio is a dangerous disease, and we according to the vision of Imran Khan would make Pakistan a polio-free country. He said we do not want that these three union councils should be quoted for their boycott in every discussion about polio eradication. He said in the Naya Pakistan of Imran no child would be crippled due to polio. The SG PTI Sindh asked the administration to ensure proper cleanliness and supply of cleaning drinking water to the resident of this union council. He said the area is facing acute shortage of drinking water and people are compelled to drink contaminated water, which is the main source of spread of polio. He said the administration should not treat this locality as a no-go area and give basic facilities to its residents. He said the residents of this locality would fully cooperate to the administration. He said polio is a serious matter and we also should join hands to secure future of our children. Speaking on the occasion, MPA Kareem Bux Gabol appealed the parents to cooperate in getting their children vaccinated for polio so that they could be saved from possible life-long disability. DC East Ahmed Ali Siddiqui said that polio is a serious problem of Pakistan. He said parents of some 4000 children in this area had refused to give polio drops to their children. He said we are happy that now local people have announced cooperation to the polio drive. He said I assure them that there is no any ingredient in polio vaccine that is harmful for their children. Published in Daily Times, November 12th 2018.