PESHAWAR:The authorities on Sunday imposed Section 144 across Bannu district from November 1 to 7 in view of security concerns during the anti-polio vaccination campaign.
Under an order issued by Deputy Commissioner Bannu Zia-ur-Rehman, display of weapons, pillion riding on motorcycles and the use of tinted vehicle windows have been banned throughout the district.
According to the notification, District Police Officer Shafiullah Gandapur had informed the administration about security concerns ahead of the November anti-polio campaign, scheduled to run from November 2 to 5. The decision was taken in view of previous terrorist attacks targeting polio teams and police personnel deployed for their security.
However, patwaris and union council secretaries performing official polio campaign duties have been exempted from the restriction on carrying weapons.
Violators of the restrictions will face legal action under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Meanwhile, the anti-polio campaign has formally been launched in Bannu, with Deputy Commissioner Zia-ur-Rehman and DPO Shafiullah Gandapur administering polio drops to children at the inauguration ceremony.
The campaign aims at vaccinating 228,000 children under the age of five across 57 union councils of the district.
A total of 1,412 polio teams, 321 area in-charges and 57 Union Council Medical Officers (UCMOs) have been deployed to ensure the campaign’s success.
The deputy commissioner urged parents to ensure that all children under five receive polio drops and called on the public to cooperate with vaccination teams.
He said ensuring vaccination coverage for every child was essential in view of the presence of polio cases and the virus in the district.