Here’s why an FIR has been registered against actor Fawad Khan and his wife
It involves polio drops and US tours
An FIR has been registered against Pakistani actor Fawad Khan and his wife Sadaf Khan after they refused to allow polio workers to administer an anti-polio vaccination to their daughter on Wednesday.
The Lahore police took action on the written complaint of the polio team, which visited the Faisal Town residence of the film star where his wife “resisted and then misbehaved with the team”.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Babar Atta said that according to the deputy commissioner of Lahore, the teams wanted to immunise Fawad’s daughter. “First his driver misbehaved with the teams, then his family.”
As per DC Lahore, teams wanted to immunise Fawad’s daughter since yesterday. 1st his driver misbehaved with teams followed by his family. Mr. Fawad is our pride, I request him to allow teams to vaccinate the child. Lahore has had a polio case last week, we must protect the child. https://t.co/0L30OfLbMd
— Babar Atta (@babarbinatta) February 20, 2019
Its a parent’s right to ask questions on polio vaccine & our duty to respond, but none has the right to scold our teams while they are performing their duties. As per DC Lahore They tried for 2 days to convince the family. https://t.co/30kQoX6dvp
— Babar Atta (@babarbinatta) February 20, 2019
The DC Lahore told me that FIR is registered against the “Sarbarah” or Guardian of the family, which in this case is Fawad sahib. As the Government wanted to immunise his daughter and was repeatedly stopped from immunization despite repeated attempts & requests. https://t.co/nijSPKqovp
— Babar Atta (@babarbinatta) February 20, 2019
“I have been told that Mrs Fawad thinks getting their daughter immunised from the United Kingdom will give the child protection against WPV1 strain,” he added. “Protection against wild poliovirus can only be guaranteed with Oral Polio Vaccine,” he asserted.
Related: Anti-polio campaign launched across Pakistan
However, Fawad’s manager issued a statement saying that the actor and his wife were not at home when the vaccination team arrived. The actor and his wife have been abroad since February 13, the statement read.
Press release by #FawadKhan‘s public relations team. pic.twitter.com/hjuf2TClHR
— Fawad Khan FC (@TeamFawadAKhan) February 20, 2019
Currently, he is the US on his tour titled ‘Date with Fawad Khan’. “His travel history clearly demonstrates the manufactured nature of the FIR and he has just come to know of the FIR through the press,” it said. The statement said that Fawad fully supports the anti-polio campaign and is “very well aware” of the guidelines of international organisations about the disease. It added that his daughter has been vaccinated on schedule.
On February 18, the government launched a countrywide three-day anti-polio campaign. The vaccination of at least 13.2 million children under five years of age was targeted during the drive.
The anti-polio drive is under way in Karachi, Peshawar, Qila Abdullah, and Pishin, said Rana Muhammad Safdar, the coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication. “At least 90,000 vaccinators are taking part in the national campaign.”
