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Two new polio cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, taking the tally in the province to 61.
Both cases have been reported from Lakki Marwat’s Sarai Naurang.
The polio virus was detected in both children. One of the victims is 22 months old, while the other is 15 months old.
Pakistan has been accused of covering up an outbreak of the most dangerous type of polio virus, which resulted in the paralysis of 12 children in Diamer and Islamabad, reported The Guardian on Thursday.
The report alleges that an official of the polio eradication programme in Pakistan claims “a dozen children have been infected with the P2 strain of polio.” It also adds that the coordinator of the national emergency operation centre of the programme “Dr Malik Safi, confirmed the P2 outbreak, but would not give any further comment.”
The Guardian report goes on to say that Babar bin Atta, the former focal person to the prime minister on polio eradication, ordered the cover up from the government and international donor organisations.
In a series of tweets on Thursday and Friday, Atta dubbed The Guardian report “baseless” and said he is writing to the publication to correct the record and issue an apology.