In a tragic turn of events, a police constable was killed, and a polio worker injured when militants opened fire on a vaccination team in Tehsil Banda Daud Shah, Karak district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The police officer had been assigned to provide security for the team. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation in the area to locate the perpetrators.
In a separate incident in Bannu district, another polio vaccination team was attacked. Details on casualties from this attack remain unclear.
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The violence against polio vaccination teams continues to disrupt efforts to combat the disease. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attacks, calling them an assault on Pakistan’s future, and highlighted the importance of safeguarding polio workers.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari demanded an immediate report from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor and stressed the need for better security for vaccination teams. His sister, PPP MNA Asifa Bhutto Zardari, also condemned the attacks, calling them cowardly and harmful to the fight against polio.
The polio vaccination campaign, which began on December 16 and runs until December 22, is backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and WHO. The campaign will involve over 400,000 workers across 143 districts to ensure no child is left unvaccinated.
