Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Monday, while strongly condemning the attacks on polio workers in two separate incidents, sought reports from senior police officials, instructing them to take action for the immediate arrest of the elements involved.
Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic, with the disease mostly affecting children under five, and sometimes causing lifelong paralysis.
Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.
The attack took place a day after health workers launched a nationwide anti-polio campaign against the resurgent disease.
According to a press release issued by the CM office, Gandapur directed steps to improve the security of the anti-polio teams.
He offered his condolences on the martyrdom of a police official assigned for the security of the anti-polio team and expressed sympathies to the family, assuring complete financial support.
Gandapur hoped for the speedy recovery of the two officials injured and gave instructions to ensure timely provision of medical assistance to the officials injured.
“Those who attack the anti-polio teams are enemies of our children’s secure future,” the chief minister said. adding that such cowardly attacks will not demoralise the teams.
“Front-line anti-polio workers are our heroes and benefactors,” Gandapur said.
He reaffirmed that the provincial government was determined to eradicate polio from the province.
Hundreds of police and polio workers have been killed in the country over the past decade, mainly due to the propaganda surrounding the vaccination campaign.
On the other hand, police officers who are routinely deployed to protect polio workers going door-to-door frequently come under attack by militants waging a war against security forces.
In September, a police officer and a polio worker were shot dead when unknown assailants attacked a polio vaccination team.
Two policemen guarding a polio vaccination team were also shot dead by militants in KP’s Orakzai district in October.
