1 week Ago
We perceive the fresh reporting of new polio cases, bringing Pakistan’s tally to eight for the year, as yet another grim reminder of a national failure that can no longer be excused. Despite decades of vaccinations, campaigns, and global assistance, Pakistan stands isolated as the only non-conflict country where polio has not been eradicated—a distinction that should shame rather than perplex us. The blame is easy to scatter—regional instability, political neglect, community mistrust, and even malicious misinformation campaigns.
Yet, beneath all this lies a glaring truth: the lack of consistent, focused attention by the state. Efforts are made, certainly, but in a manner often more performative than transformative. Sporadic drives and donor-dependent initiatives cannot substitute for an unrelenting national commitment to wipe out a disease that is literally crippling our future.
It is no secret that polio ruins lives irreversibly. Each new case is not merely a statistic; it is a child condemned to lifelong disability in an era where this should have been entirely preventable. To watch this unfold year after year is nothing short of negligence dressed up as resilience.
The time for excuses is long past. The situation demands not more plans, but decisive action—built on community trust, rigorous execution, and relentless political will. It is not acceptable for an otherwise functional state to allow the disease to fester while the rest of the world moves forward.
Leghari terms India’s Indus Water Treaty suspension statement childish, illegal We hope that the authorities recognise the enormity of this stain on our collective conscience. Ending polio must no longer be treated as a campaign slogan but as an urgent national emergency—one where failure is simply not an option. Tags: paralysis.
