Jirga in Hangu threatens boycott of anti-polio drive

HANGU: Tribal elders here on Friday asked the government to upgrade the Government High School in Tora Warai Union Council to the higher secondary level or else they would boycott the anti-polio drive.

It was learnt that local tribal elders, including Maulana Shams-ul-Haq, Jannat Mir Ali Jan, Aqil Khan, Khaleq-ur-Rehman, Waqib-ur-Rehman and Hassan Gul issued the ultimate at a jirga.The jirga was held at Tora Warai Union Council in Hangu.

Speaking on the occasion, the elders announced boycott of the polio vaccination, demanding the government and the Education Department to upgrade the high school in Tora Warai to higher secondary level. The jirga warned that the boycott would continue until their demand was met.

They highlighted the lack of higher secondary education in the area, which they claimed was leading many students towards extremism and drug addiction.They pointed out that each year, around 200 students graduated from the local high school, but due to the absence of higher secondary classes, many quit education.

In support of the demand, 10th-grade students also staged a protest, joining their parents and elders in boycotting the polio vaccination campaign. The jirga members reaffirmed that their stance would remain unchanged until the authorities took concrete steps to upgrade the school.