A police constable was killed, and a polio worker was injured when unidentified militants opened fire on a vaccination team in Tehsil Banda Daud Shah, located in Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The constable had been assigned to secure the team. In response to the attack, authorities have launched a large-scale search operation in the area.
Meanwhile, another polio vaccination team came under attack in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The details of casualties from this second incident remain unconfirmed.
The ongoing battle against polio in Pakistan has been increasingly disrupted by attacks on vaccination teams, resulting in the tragic loss of police officers and injuries to workers.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attacks, describing them as an assault on Pakistan’s future. He paid tribute to the slain officers and emphasized the importance of safeguarding polio workers for the nation’s health.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called for an immediate report on the situation from the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and stressed the need for enhanced security measures to protect polio teams.
PPP MNA Asifa Bhutto Zardari condemned the violence on social media, describing such acts as cowardly and detrimental to efforts aimed at protecting children from polio. She urged the government to take swift action and reaffirmed the commitment to continue the fight against polio despite the violence.
The ongoing polio vaccination campaign, which began on December 16 and will run until December 22, has faced several disruptions. Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization (WHO), the campaign, led by Dr. Ayesha Raza Farooq and Dr. Bharat, aims to mobilize over 400,000 workers across 143 districts to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated.
