Sindhiyani Tehreek Accuses Extremist Groups and Govt. Negligence for Low HPV Vaccination Rates
Chehra WebDesk
HYDERABAD - In a joint press statement, leaders of the Sindhiyani Tehreek, including central president Umrah Samoon, general secretary Dr. Marvi Sindhu, Hasna Rahoojo, and Advocate Sorath Mangarhar, have urged the public to get vaccinated against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), emphasizing its importance for a healthier future. The leaders criticized certain extremist groups for spreading false information about the vaccine, which they believe is hindering the campaign's success.
The leaders noted that HPV vaccination has been adopted by many Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. They highlighted that Sindh has a history of successful vaccination campaigns, with vaccines for 12 other diseases having been administered previously. Despite this, they said extremist elements are "pushing Sindh centuries backward" with what they called a campaign of "lies and hatred."
The press statement directly linked the rise of these extremist ideologies to the era of former dictator General Zia-ul-Haq, stating that "the seeds of extremism sown by General Zia-ul-Haq have now grown into a tree." They claimed that the ideology fostered by Zia-ul-Haq, who allegedly received U.S. dollars to support the Taliban in Afghanistan, continues to "poison society to this day."
The Sindhiyani Tehreek also held the government responsible for the campaign's failure to meet its target, noting that only 60% of the vaccination goal has been achieved. The leaders attributed this to government "incompetence" and a lack of focus on media literacy. They argued that if the government had prioritized educating the public instead of implementing what they called "black laws like the PECA Act to suppress the media," the campaign would not have been susceptible to "fake news."
The leaders further accused the government of imposing restrictions on media, including cutting off advertisements and "paralyzing the newspaper industry." They claimed that this has created a vacuum, allowing a few social media influencers and "TikTokers" to spread misinformation for personal gain, thereby harming the public's access to research-based information.
The statement concluded by pointing to the "negligence" of the Sindh government, specifically the departments of education and information, which they said has resulted in millions of schoolgirls being deprived of the HPV vaccine. They stressed that "opposing HPV vaccination is equivalent to putting the nation's future at stake."
