30 March 2012 – The Federal Government of Pakistan is in the process of finalizing a draft bill to introduce compulsory vaccination in an attempt to reduce the incidence of childhood diseases and the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as polio. Tough penalties, including fines and imprisonment, will be imposed on parents of unvaccinated children.

This announcement was made by the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister and Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication, Dr Shahnaz Wazir Ali, in a press conference that coincided with the launch of the national polio immunization campaign in March 2012.