ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif says government is implementing a special emergency plan to improve anti-polio response.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said this in a tweet on Saturday, while expressing concern over the increase in number of confirmed polio cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Alluding to his recent telephonic conversation with Bill Gates, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its valuable support in the public health and social sector programmes in Pakistan.
Earlier, in a telephonic conversation with Bill Gates, the Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he affirmed Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen fruitful partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in all ongoing areas of cooperation.
The Prime Minister appreciated the valuable support extended by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to Pakistan in polio eradication and improving immunization, nutrition and financial inclusion in the country.
He said the government is committed to eradicate polio from the country by strengthening operations at all levels of the polio eradication program.
He said providing safety and security to all members of the polio program, especially the frontline workers, would be his government’s high priority.
Bill Gates reiterated the Foundation’s continued support to Pakistan to protect them from the risk of paralysis due to polio virus.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has lauded the security forces for conducting successful operation against the terrorists in district Kech.
In a statement issued on Saturday, PM Shehbaz Sharif condoled with the bereaved family of Havaldar Hidayat Ullah, who embraced martyrdom in the operation and prayed for early recovery of the injured, Naik Mir Muhammad.
Shehbaz Sharif said Havaldar Hidayat Ullah embraced shahadat for the country and the entire nation salutes to its martyrs.
According to ISPR, six terrorists were killed in the operation which was conducted in Hoshab area on information regarding movement of the terrorist group on motorcycles towards Panjgur from Kech.
A large cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the terrorists.
During the engagement, Havaldar Hidayat Ullah embraced shahadat while Naik Mir Muhammad was injured.