ISLAMABAD: Health officials have confirmed Pakistan’s 11th polio case of the year — and the first-ever from Gilgit-Baltistan — in a 23-month-old boy from Tangir area of Diamer district.
The National Institute of Health’s Regional Reference Laboratory confirmed that the poliovirus strain in this case originated from Karachi’s Liaquatabad area, although the affected child had no recent travel history. According to GB Health Secretary Asifullah Khan, while the child received routine polio drops, he missed crucial vaccinations given immediately after birth.
This development has raised concerns about the spread of the virus across regions and highlighted gaps in immunization coverage.
In a related incident, the Jaglot Police Station registered a case against two unidentified individuals who attacked a polio monitoring team in the Sheikho area of Tangir Valley. According to the FIR, the assailants opened fire on the team’s vehicle and issued threats, saying the team was “ruining their environment” by including unveiled women from Gilgit.
The attackers fled into nearby mountains, and an investigation is underway.
