A police constable was tragically killed in Pakistan while providing security for a polio vaccination drive, highlighting the ongoing challenges in eradicating the disease in the region.
Key Points
- A police constable was killed in Bajaur, Pakistan, while escorting a polio vaccination team.
- The attack occurred on the first day of a four-day anti-polio campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
- Pakistan remains one of the few countries where poliovirus is still prevalent.
- Pakistan has made significant progress in polio eradication since 1994, reducing cases by 99.8 per cent.
A police constable returning from escort duty of a polio vaccination drive was killed by unidentified gunmen on Monday in northwest Pakistan.
Attack on Polio Vaccination Team
The incident occurred in Salarzai town of Bajaur district in restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on the first day of a four-day anti-polio campaign in the province.
According to the police, the constable identified as Sayed Aziz sustained multiple bullet wounds after motorcycle-borne armed men opened fire at him.
The attackers managed to flee from the scene, they said, adding that Constable Aziz was rushed to the hospital, but succumbed to his injuries on the way.
Condemnation and Polio Situation in Pakistan
Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sohail Afridi, condemned the attack.
Pakistan is the only country other than Afghanistan where poliovirus is still rampant.
Earlier this month, Pakistan reported two polio cases, taking the tally of infections for the ongoing year to three.
Since the launch of Pakistan's Polio Eradication Initiative in 1994, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by 99.8 per cent â from 20,000 estimated cases in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025, but the challenges exist.
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