Islamabad, Dec 27 (IANS): The number of children affected by polio in Pakistan has risen to 295 with the confirmation of four new cases, Dawn reported Saturday.

Two cases were reported from Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, one from Khyber Agency, a tribal area in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas region, and one from Balochistan province, an official said.

This year is shaping up to be the darkest year for Pakistan's polio programme with a strong possibility that the number of confirmed cases may hit the 300 mark, which would be the highest number of cases reported in the country since 1998, the media report said.

An emergency operations centre has been established to oversee efforts to stem the spread of the polio virus, an official from the ministry of national health services said recently.

Militant groups have been attacking polio teams as they see vaccination campaigns as a cover for espionage. Many people also believe the rumours that polio drops cause infertility.