LAKKI MARWAT: Taking notice of the high number of polio refusal cases in Lakki Marwat district, the local administration has decided to immunise the children of the government employees ‘reluctant’ to the campaign. An official said on Sunday that deputy commissioner Zeeshan Abdullah had informed heads of the line departments, including the district police officer, about the move through an official letter. “During the previous anti-polio drive, the officials related to polio eradication initiative noted with concern that refusal cases had been reported from the families of government employees,” the official said, adding eradicating polio was a national emergency and the government officials refusing vaccination of their children against the disease would face stern action as per the directives of the chief secretary. The official said that the deputy commissioner had asked the heads of government departments to engage the reluctant employees of their respective departments and ensure their children were administered with anti-polio drops by Jan 7 (Tuesday). “The deputy commissioner has also asked the line departments’ heads to take necessary steps in this regard to address the critical issue and submit a compliance report in his office,” he added. The official further said that if the heads of departments failed to comply with the directives, the employees refusing vaccination of their children would be called to the deputy commissioner’s office on Jan 9 where their children would receive oral polio vaccine dose. A man was shot dead in front of his wife over a petty dispute in Tajazai area of Lakki Marwat district late Saturday night. Police said on Sunday that Ali Marjan, 35, was taking his wife to the District Headquarters Hospital when Saifuddin appeared there and opened fire on them. They said that Marjan received critical injuries and died instantly, while his wife, Samia Naz narrowly escaped the attack. Ms Naz told Ghaznikhel police that the killer had a dispute over a tree with Ghulam Jan and Ahmad Jan, uncles of the deceased. She said that her husband was trying to patch up the dispute between his uncles and the killer. The police said that the body was handed over to the relatives after completing medico-legal formalities at the District Headquarters Hospital, Tajazai.