Killing of vaccination teams and lady health workers

Although every life taken by the terrorists is precious and condemnable. Over the years, Pakistan has lost over 50,000 lives in this bloodbath. Although the Armed forces and law enforcers are making all possible efforts to control it, these offensive attacks still continue. We cannot win this war without the united efforts and contributions of every segment of the society.

This war is not simply about protecting the sovereignty of the nation or ensuring the prevalence of law and order in the country. Terrorism is also detrimental to the economic stability and provision of education and health to the masses.

To gain our global respect as a nation, Pakistanis must eliminate all kinds of terrorism from our country. Some segments of the population have still not realized the gravity of this situation and still remain silent or even show a soft-corner for these atrocious elements and their anti-social behavior.

There is no sense in swaying within the grey area. Each one of us must be clear about who the real enemy of the state is, and who is causing irreparable damage to the society and our national structure.

Peace, prosperity, tolerance and moderation will only come through enlightenment. If we want our country to be healthy, educated and progressive we must tread the enlightened path laid down by humanitarian ethics and Islam. We must ensure equal opportunities for health and education for every male and female member of the society.

A number of recent incidents and terrorist activities indicate that the extremist elements in our society are intentionally disturbing the gender equality paradigm, by oppressing women and sabotaging the social development in the country. These culprits are often harassing, kidnapping or even killing female citizens who courageously pursue professional careers, especially in the fields of vaccination, Maternal health, child-care, family planning or education.

Thousands of lady health-workers are performing a critical task of ensuring public-health across Pakistan. This is a large-scale programme conducted by the Government, whereby basic-health awareness and family-planning practices are promoted and door to door facilities are extended to save lives.

A few terrorist organizations are clearly pursuing the implementing of; a mis-interpreted and inhuman form of religion. Often, they are also directly targeting and killing vaccination teams and lady health-workers, besides prohibiting maternal-health measures and family-planning practices. These ignorant and malicious activists falsely proclaim that population-planning and preventive vaccinations are somehow against Islamic teachings.

The same groups also proudly accept the blame for recklessly destroying, girls-schools, mosques, madressahs and even churches, that offer free education to poor children. They are simply denying the girls' right to education and respect.

Numerous Polio-vaccination teams have been openly and ruthlessly murdered by these intolerant religious extremists, so that our children cannot be saved from the deadly polio virus. Lady health workers are killed so that they cannot provide healthcare services to the common women inside their homes.

As a result of such terrorist activities, not only the vaccination teams and lady health-workers are killed, but a large number of common people are also deprived of basic health care, which is eventually causing, loss of lives on a mass scale, bringing a massive avalanche of death and deprivation, all over the country.