Residents’ Unrest Over Power Cuts Disrupt Polio Vaccination Drive in Peshawar

Shazia Mehboob

Peshawar: The polio eradication efforts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa faced a setback as residents from six Union Councils in Peshawar boycotted the campaign due to power cuts.

The boycott, initiated by locals on the day the anti-polio drive began, persisted for a third consecutive day on Wednesday, impacting the district government’s efforts against the polio virus.

According to sources from the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), the boycott is taking place in the union councils of Shahab Khel, Sulaiman Khel, Garhi Mali Khel, and Sheikh Muhammad. However, after negotiations by the local jirga, the anti-polio campaign has partially resumed in Mashoo Gagra.

The local residents have conditioned their participation in the polio campaign to the restoration of electricity, which has been cut off for several days, as per the EOC sources.

“We will not allow the campaign to be carried out until electricity is restored,” announced the residents of the affected union councils.

The EOC sources further said negotiations are underway with the boycotters and residents of the area, adding that such issues come up and are resolved with the help of the district administration.

In some areas, the campaign has resumed partially after negotiations with the district administration. The boycotters will be persuaded, and the campaign will start soon, the EOC sources said.

According to the details, the six union councils in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, are boycotting the polio campaign. The boycott is being staged in protest of the ongoing power outage in the region. The locals have said that they will not allow the campaign to be carried out until electricity is restored.

The EOC, which is responsible for overseeing the polio campaign in Pakistan, said that negotiations are underway with the boycotters and residents of the area. The EOC also said that such issues come up and are resolved with the help of the district administration.

In some areas, the campaign has resumed partially after negotiations with the district administration. The EOC said that the boycotters will be persuaded, and the campaign will start soon.

It is pertinent to mention that the polio campaign is critical to the eradication of polio in Pakistan. The country has been polio-free for over three years, but there have been recent cases of polio in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The boycott of the polio campaign could jeopardise the country’s efforts to eradicate polio.

Asif Shehzad, a local journalist, highlighted the prevalence of ‘kunda culture’ in the region, adding that households lack installed metres.

This absence leads to protests whenever the local administration cuts off power due to financial defaults. These protests often demand the restoration of electricity services.

When approached, a PESCO official acknowledged that power theft is rampant in the region, with locals openly resorting to ‘Kunda’ connections instead of paying electricity bills without fearing legal consequences.

PESCO sources said that in order to manage the disparity caused by widespread power defaults, they are compelled to implement intermittent power cuts in the area. However, they ensure a limited supply of electricity for a few hours to meet the basic needs of the residents.

The official highlighted the unfortunate impact on law-abiding citizens who diligently pay their electricity bills but suffer from power outages due to non-payment by the majority in the area.