Two cops guarding polio vaccinators martyred in KP

Armed terrorists martyred two policemen protecting a polio vaccination team in Upper Orakzai, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while three attackers were also killed in retaliatory fire by security forces.

Upper Orakzai Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Muhammad Rahim said the incident took place in the Dabori Badan area, where armed men opened fire at police personnel escorting the vaccinators.

One of the policemen, Sayyed Hameed, lost his life on the spot, while the other was shifted to District Headquarters Hospital Orakzai. However, the injured cop Muzammil also succumbed to his wounds during treatment.

In a swift response to the attack, the Frontier Corps cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Muhammad Raheem later confirmed that three terrorists were killed in retaliatory firing by the FC personnel, while one of the militants was caught injured.

President Asif Ali Zardari in a statement condemned the armed assault on the polio vaccination team, expressing sorrow over the martyrdom of police officials.

"The cops bravely fought the attackers and killed three terrorists, for which they deserve salutes," he said in the statement.

Praying for the early recovery of the wounded cops, the president vowed to continue all-out efforts to eliminate poliovirus across the country.

Reacting to the incident, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack on police and paid tribute to the martyred personnel.

"Attack on the anti-polio team is an attack on the safe future of Pakistan," he said.

It may be noted that the government has launched separate polio vaccination drives across the country following the recent spike in cases of paralysing disease.

Pakistan reported the 41st case of the year when a 42-month-old girl was crippled by the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Balochistan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

The southwestern province is emerging as an area of intense polio transmission this year as 21 of the 41 cases in the country. The breakdown of the remaining cases is Sindh (12), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (six), and one each in Punjab and Islamabad.

The current campaign, led by Pakistan’s Polio Programme aims to vaccinate over 45 million children under the age of five, kicked off yesterday (Monday).

Officials stress the importance of full participation as incomplete vaccination coverage leaves communities vulnerable to the continued spread and resurgence of polio.

Since its launch in 1994, the polio eradication programme has largely contained the virus, and Pakistan was close to completely wiping out the disease until this year as only six cases had been reported in 2023.

It is one of the two remaining polio-endemic countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, and authorities urge parents to actively participate in the ongoing nationwide polio vaccination campaign.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus mainly affecting children under the age of five years, who are malnourished or have weak immunity because of being under-vaccinated or not vaccinated for polio and other childhood diseases.

The illness invades the nervous system and causes paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease.

Pakistan's rigorous efforts towards polio eradication face significant challenges, particularly in areas where insecurity, misinformation, and parental refusals hinder vaccination campaigns.