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Arab News
3 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Pakistan says 96% of children vaccinated in ongoing anti-polio drive
KARACHI: Polio vaccinations continued across Pakistan for the sixth consecutive day on Saturday, with 96% of targeted children receiving doses during the first five days of the campaign, the country's National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) said in a statement. Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world where polio is still endemic, alongside neighboring Afghanistan. Efforts to eliminate the disease have been hampered by parental refusals, widespread misinformation and repeated attacks on polio workers by militant groups. In remote and volatile areas, vaccination teams often operate under police protection, though security personnel themselves have also been targeted during these campaigns. 'During the first five days, 96% of children across the country have been administered polio drops,' the NEOC said at the start of the campaign's sixth day. 'The vaccination campaign is underway simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan,' it continued, adding this was to curb cross-border transmission of the virus, especially in frontier regions where mobility between the two countries remains high. According to Pakistani officials, the current vaccination drive aims to reach more than 45 million children nationwide. It is part of Pakistan's intensified response following a sharp uptick in cases last year, when 74 children were diagnosed with the crippling virus. Ten cases have been reported so far in 2025, prompting authorities to step up outreach and door-to-door campaigns. According to the NEOC, provincial breakdowns so far show 97% coverage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 96% in both Punjab and Balochistan, 94% in Sindh, 98% in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 101% in Gilgit-Baltistan, where more children were reached than initially estimated. Islamabad reported 97% coverage. In Balochistan, the country's most underdeveloped province that reported 27 cases last year, local authorities introduced recreational activities such as free swings and camel rides in Quetta to attract children and facilitate their vaccination. The effort drew large crowds, allowing teams to immunize children while they took part in the festivities. 'This initiative is critically important as we enter the high-transmission season,' said Ziaur Rehman, spokesperson for Pakistan's Polio Program. 'It will play a key role in timely containment of the virus.' He urged parents to ensure that all children under five receive polio drops to protect them from lifelong disability.
Reuters
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
India and Pakistan exchange fire despite ceasefire agreement
NEW DELHI, May 10 (Reuters) - India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday after U.S.-led diplomacy, but hours later India said that Pakistan had violated the truce. Here's how the conflict unfolded between the two nuclear-armed neighbors and where it stands now: After four days of intense military exchanges, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday, facilitated by U.S.-led diplomatic efforts. The ceasefire came amid heightened fears that the conflict could escalate into a broader confrontation, with both nations on high alert. But within hours, violations were reported from the main cities of Indian Kashmir, the territory that had borne the brunt of four days of fighting. The Indian armed forces were responding to ceasefire violations by Pakistan hours after the truce was reached on Saturday, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a press briefing in New Delhi. The current hostilities began after a deadly April 22 attack targeting Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. India blamed Pakistan-based militant groups for the assault, prompting New Delhi to launch air strikes earlier this week on what it described as "terrorist infrastructure" within Pakistan. Pakistan, which denies involvement in the Kashmir attack, condemned the strikes and vowed to retaliate. India said it struck nine "terrorist camps" in Pakistan on Wednesday, claiming these sites were indoctrination centers, training grounds, and launchpads for attacks. Some of these, according to Indian officials, were linked to the perpetrators of last month's violence. Pakistan said the Indian attacks hit six locations in its territory, none of them militant camps. Pakistan initially claimed it shot down five Indian fighter jets during the first wave of strikes, a claim the Indian embassy in Beijing dismissed as "misinformation." In response to subsequent escalations, Pakistan said it shot down 25 Indian drones overnight, including some over its largest cities, Karachi and Lahore. India, meanwhile, stated that it had "neutralized" Pakistani attempts to strike military targets with drones and missiles, including targeting air defense systems in Pakistan. Global leaders have welcomed the de-escalation between India and Pakistan. U.S. President Donald Trump credited American diplomatic efforts and described it as a result of "a long night of talks" mediated by the United States. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed the ceasefire as a "vital step toward de-escalation," while British Foreign Minister David Lammy urged both sides to maintain it. The ceasefire agreement marks a significant step back from the brink of a major conflict. However, despite the agreement, the Indus Waters Treaty, a key water-sharing pact between the two countries remains suspended, four government sources told Reuters. Two Indian government sources also told Reuters that other punitive measures announced by India and reciprocated by Pakistan, such as trade suspension and visa cancellations, would remain in place for now.
The National
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Hamas in Lebanon 'fully committed' to Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire
Hamas in Lebanon is 'fully committed' to the country's ceasefire agreement with Israel, a representative of the militant Palestinian group said on Thursday, adding it has already shown co-operation with the Lebanese state by handing over three people accused of firing rockets towards Israel in late March. 'Hamas is committed to Lebanon's sovereignty, security, stability, and laws, as well as to the ceasefire decision,' said Ahmad Abdel Hadi, the group's representative in Lebanon. The ceasefire, which ended a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, called on Lebanon's government to disarm all armed groups in the country and dismantle non-state military infrastructure. Mr Abdel Hadi said the March rocket launch, which prompted deadly retaliatory attacks from Israel, was 'an individual act carried out by several young people' and that Hamas had no prior knowledge of the plot. The unaffiliated individuals shot rockets into Israel out of 'grief and in reaction to the war of extermination and massacres committed by [Israel] in Gaza after it violated the ceasefire agreement,' he added. Three of the four accused have been surrendered to the Lebanese state, according to Mr Abdel Hadi, with co-operation continuing to find the fourth. Lebanese authorities last week warned Hamas not to conduct operations that compromise the security or sovereignty of Lebanon, amid increasing pressure from the US to disarm militant groups outside Lebanese state control. The country's highest security body threatened the 'harshest measures' if Hamas in Lebanon were to launch attacks on Israel. Hamas has maintained a presence in Lebanon for decades, and the country has hosted Palestinian refugees since they were displaced from their land in 1948 during the creation of Israel. The UN estimates about 250,000 Palestinians reside in refugee camps throughout Lebanon, and the state has limited authority in these areas. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, who took office in January following the establishment of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, has vowed to bring all weapons in the country under the state's authority. Accomplishing such a task would be unprecedented in a country historically known for hosting powerful non-state actors. 'Until now, no official body in the Lebanese state has informed us of any request regarding Palestinian weapons,' Mr Abdel Hadi said. 'When the state requests it, we will respond with a unified Palestinian position.' The Hamas representative added that the movement plans to hold dialogue among Palestinian factions in Lebanon 'to prepare for the development of a unified Palestinian vision' on the issue of weapons, as well as Palestinian rights and security in Lebanon. Hezbollah's successive setbacks during the war with Israel – including the killing of most of its leadership – has cost the group its dominance in Lebanon's political scene and paved the way for efforts to disarm it.
The National
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Hamas in Lebanon 'fully committed' to Israel-Lebanon ceasefire
Hamas in Lebanon is 'fully committed' to the country's ceasefire agreement with Israel, a representative of the militant Palestinian group said on Thursday, adding it has already shown co-operation with the Lebanese state by handing over three people accused of firing rockets towards Israel in late March. 'Hamas is committed to Lebanon's sovereignty, security, stability, and laws, as well as to the ceasefire decision,' said Ahmad Abdel Hadi, the group's representative in Lebanon. The ceasefire, which ended a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, called on Lebanon's government to disarm all armed groups in the country and dismantle non-state military infrastructure. Mr Abdel Hadi said the March rocket launch, which prompted deadly retaliatory attacks from Israel, was 'an individual act carried out by several young people' and that Hamas had no prior knowledge of the plot. The unaffiliated individuals shot rockets into Israel out of 'grief and in reaction to the war of extermination and massacres committed by [Israel] in Gaza after it violated the ceasefire agreement,' he added. Three of the four accused have been surrendered to the Lebanese state, according to Mr Abdel Hadi, with co-operation continuing to find the fourth. Lebanese authorities last week warned Hamas not to conduct operations that compromise the security or sovereignty of Lebanon, amid increasing pressure from the US to disarm militant groups outside Lebanese state control. The country's highest security body threatened the 'harshest measures' if Hamas in Lebanon were to launch attacks on Israel. Hamas has maintained a presence in Lebanon for decades, and the country has hosted Palestinian refugees since they were displaced from their land in 1948 during the creation of Israel. The UN estimates about 250,000 Palestinians reside in refugee camps throughout Lebanon, and the state has limited authority in these areas. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, who took office in January following the establishment of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, has vowed to bring all weapons in the country under the state's authority. Accomplishing such a task would be unprecedented in a country historically known for hosting powerful non-state actors. 'Until now, no official body in the Lebanese state has informed us of any request regarding Palestinian weapons,' Mr Abdel Hadi said. 'When the state requests it, we will respond with a unified Palestinian position.' The Hamas representative added that the movement plans to hold dialogue among Palestinian factions in Lebanon 'to prepare for the development of a unified Palestinian vision' on the issue of weapons, as well as Palestinian rights and security in Lebanon. Hezbollah's successive setbacks during the war with Israel – including the killing of most of its leadership – has cost the group its dominance in Lebanon's political scene and paved the way for efforts to disarm it.
