Tally reaches 42 as polio cripples another child

ISLAMABAD/ KALAYA/MIRANSHAH/ KOHAT/LAHORE: Polio has crippled yet another child in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where a 30-month-old girl has become the 42nd victim of the virus this year in Pakistan, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The diagnosis, verified by Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, highlights the continuing threat of polio across the country. This case, the first reported from Nowshera in 2024, adds to Pakistan’s mounting total, which includes 21 cases in Balochistan, 12 in Sindh, seven in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one each in Punjab and Islamabad. With an alarming rise in infections, health experts estimate the national tally could exceed 50 or even 60 cases by the end of the year if vaccination coverage remains insufficient.

The new case comes during a nationwide polio vaccination campaign, launched to immunise over 45 million children under five years old. Meanwhile, suspected militants martyred two cops guarding polio workers in the Dabori area in upper parts of the Orakzai tribal district on Tuesday. District Police Officer Mohammad Rahim said that three attackers were also killed when the cops returned the fire. He said that the attack took place in the Dabori area in Orakzai where the vaccinators were busy administering oral polio vaccine to children aged under five years of age. He said the militants opened fire on the cops who were escorting the polio vaccinators. One cop was martyred on the spot while the other succumbed to his injuries while being taken to a hospital in Peshawar due to his critical condition. The cops were identified as Syed Hameed and Muzzammil.

A contingent of the police and Orakzai Scouts arrived at the scene after the attack that ensued a heavy exchange of fire between the forces and militants. Three militants were killed in clashes with the security forces.

Deputy Commissioner, Orakzai, Irfanuddin, said the anti-polio campaign had been suspended in upper parts of Orakzai. However, he added that the drive was continuing in other areas in the district. He said that security of polio teams had been further beefed up after the attack.

The funeral prayer of the fallen cops was offered at the police lines in Kalaya, headquarters of Orakzai district, which was attended by a large number of people and police officers. In another incident, around 15 armed men took hostage three policemen and members of the anti-polio teams at a dispensary in Shewa area in North Waziristan. The armed men snatched weapons from the cops after making them hostage. The police secured the release of hostages. Efforts were being made for the recovery of weapons. The anti-polio drive was suspended in the Shewa area after the incident.

Meanwhile, armed men attacked cops guarding the members of an anti-polio team in Kohat district. The attack took place in the Darrawall Banda area in the limits of Mills Area Police Station. The Quick Response Force arrived in the area after learning about the attack, which forced the attackers to escape, leaving behind their motorcycle and cellphones.

District Police Officer Kohat, Umar Khan, said that cops had got hold of the motorcycle and cellphones of fleeing militants. He said the police had registered a case and started an investigation.

Meanwhile, a polio vaccination team was assaulted by a family in Ward No 8, Kahna, Lahore. The incident occurred when the team knocked on the door of a house. The house inmates abused the Health Department staffers, manhandled them and threatened them with dire consequences. The accused Moon and his accomplices tore the clothes of polio workers namely Muhammad Bilal and Shamim Akhtar.