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Banned Pak group warns Imran against supporting polio campaign

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Press Trust of India Islamabad
A Pakistani militant outfit today said it will "turn their guns on" Imran Khan for pledging his support to a polio campaign.

"Our focus is Nawaz Sharif's government," Ansar ul Mujahideen said.

But "we will turn our guns on" Khan if polio campaign continues, Newsweek Pakistan reported.

The banned groups had earlier carried out attacks on anti-polio workers.

Cricketer-turned-politician Khan had earlier today appealed to the Pakistani Taliban and others not to attack polio workers and pledged to spearhead the vaccination campaign in the restive northwest that continues to be in the grip of the crippling disease.

Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world where polio remains endemic, and efforts to stamp it out have been hit by opposition from Islamist militants and attacks on vaccination teams.
 

Militant groups have termed the polio campaign as an attempt to "sterilise Muslims" besides being used for spying.

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First Published: Dec 19 2013 | 1:10 AM IST

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