PESHAWAR: In a tragic incident, a police officer assigned to safeguard a polio vaccination team was shot and killed in Nowshera district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), authorities confirmed on Wednesday. This marks another violent attack amid ongoing efforts to eradicate polio in the region.
Pakistan remains one of only two countries—alongside Afghanistan—where poliovirus is still endemic. Over the past decade, numerous security personnel and health workers involved in immunization drives have lost their lives due to militant attacks.
The incident occurred during the third day of a nationwide anti-polio campaign that aims to immunize 45 million children across Pakistan. According to police officer Bilal Khan, unidentified armed assailants targeted the police officer tasked with protecting the vaccination team. “He was struck down immediately,” Khan stated. Fortunately, the polio vaccination team members remained unharmed.
Pakistan experienced a concerning rise in polio cases last year, with 74 reported infections—up from just six in 2023. To date, this year has seen 29 cases, with KP accounting for the majority—18 cases—making it the most affected province.
In a separate incident a day earlier, a Levies personnel also lost his life while guarding a polio team in the remote area of Anzar Tangay Byakan in Tehsil Matta, KP.The Swat district police confirmed that the attack took place during the ongoing national immunization campaign, which commenced on October 13. The campaign, scheduled to run until October 19 across 159 districts, aims to vaccinate children under five. Following this, additional immunization activities will continue in southern KP from October 20 to 23.
The recurring violence underscores the challenges faced in polio eradication efforts in Pakistan, as security concerns persist in many regions.
