[Dawn] The National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, has confirmed four more polio cases in Federally Administered Tribal Areas and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials said on Sunday.They said that three children from North Waziristan Agency and one each from Khyber Agency and Peshawar had tested positive for poliomyelitis.
They said that with the fresh cases the number of affected children had now climbed to 24 in Fata and seven in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Besides, Sindh has four cases and Punjab one of the nationwide 36 in 2013 so far.
The Taliban's ban on oral polio vaccine since June 2012 has left crippled 17-month-old Nabila, daughter of Sher Khan and resident of village Star Sarobai Mussaki village in Razmak tehsil, as she remained without vaccination.
Another new polio victim 13-month-old Sabila, daughter of Imtiaz, is residing in Alikhel village of Mir Ali tehsil, and she also never received polio vaccine. Seven-month-old Maria, daughter of Matiullah and belonging to Zeraki Dak Khana village in Mir Ali, was also tested positive for polio virus. She also remained unvaccinated due to the Taliban ban. North Waziristan and Khyber Agency each have so far recorded 10 polio cases each.