ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has criticised the performance of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government over continuously rising number of polio cases in the country.

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurang­­zeb said in a statement on Sunday that due to the poor performance of the government, Pakistan’s global polio eradication programme was under threat.

“Mr Prime Minister, as you may not have watched television, let me tell you that during the current year the number of polio cases has reached 62. You should take notice of polio and dengue cases which are increasing on a daily basis,” she said.

Ms Aurangzeb alleged that due to its incompetence several programmes of the government had failed.

She said a report issued by the Tech­nical Advisory Group (TAG) on Polio recently was a charge-sheet against the government.

TAG, the apex evaluation body of the World Health Organisation, had raised serious concern over the deteriorating situation of poliovirus transmission in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, at a meeting held in Pakistan on Aug 30.

She said in 2014 the total number of polio cases was 306 because the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif-led government had controlled the virus of the crippling disease by adopting a better strategy.

“In July 2018, only three cases were reported from Balochistan, but after that the situation started deteriorating and during the current year the number of reported cases has reached 62 which is the highest count in the past six years.”

She said during their government international stakeholders were praising Pakis­tan over its performance against polio, but today they were showing concerns.

She claimed there was not a single polio case, during the tenure of her party in Punjab. “However, the current government lacks both vision and strategy,” she alleged.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2019