BANNU, June 23: The first case of polio has been reported in Bannu district, making it further difficult for government to achieve its target of eradicating the crippling disease from the country by the end of 2011.

Confirming the polio case, District Health Officer Dr Naik Nawaz Khan told a meeting here on Thursday that prominent religious scholars had removed reservations of local people about anti-polio vaccine.

However, he said, new polio cases were being reported owing to refusal of parents, who didn't allow health teams to administer polio drops to their children.

Dr Khan said that certain elements were propagating against anti-polio drops. The drops were prepared under the vigilance of Muslim experts, he added. He said that administration of anti-polio drops was prerequisite for entry into Makka Mukarma, the holy city of Muslims.

Moreover, he said, local and international scholars had issued decrees that the drops were not containing any harmful ingredient. He requested the parents to make sure that polio drops were administered to their children, below the age of five.—APP