In a tragic attack on a polio vaccination team in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai district, two police officers guarding the team lost their lives. Militants targeted the team, marking yet another assault on Pakistan’s ongoing fight to eradicate polio. This incident highlights the persistent risks faced by health workers and security forces in areas where polio remains endemic, primarily Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Attack and Police Response
The attack occurred on Tuesday as two militants ambushed policemen guarding the polio team. Malik Sikandar, a senior police officer in Orakzai, reported that one policeman died on the spot, while the second succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. In a swift response, police forces pursued and neutralized the attackers, killing the two militants and a local accomplice.
Another police official, Naveedullah Khan, confirmed that the vaccination workers were not harmed as they were inside a nearby home when the attack took place. No group has yet claimed responsibility, but Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly areas bordering Afghanistan, has experienced high levels of militant activity and frequent targeting of polio teams.
President Zardari Condemns Attack
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of the two policemen, praising their bravery and determination in safeguarding Pakistan’s children. His statement condemned the attack and honored the officers, emphasizing the government’s unwavering commitment to eliminating polio. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi echoed the condemnation, calling the assault on the polio team “an attack on the safe future of Pakistan.”
Polio Vaccination Efforts Under Threat
Despite Pakistan’s continued efforts to eradicate polio, polio workers and their police escorts remain frequent targets in militant-prone regions. Pakistan recently launched a week-long immunization campaign aimed at vaccinating over 45 million children under five years old. The campaign’s urgency is underscored by a spike in polio cases, with 41 cases reported so far in 2024, compared to just six in 2023.
Last month, the dangers of protecting polio teams led dozens of policemen in the Bannu district to go on strike after a series of militant attacks. These strikes followed an attack in Bajaur district’s Salarzai tehsil, where a police officer and a polio worker were shot dead. Attacks on polio workers and their escorts have claimed 126 lives and injured 201 others since 2012, per a recent Dawn report. Earlier this year, Bajaur district saw the killing of Dr. Abdul Rehman, a prominent polio program official, in one of the most high-profile attacks on the healthcare mission.
Ongoing Misinformation and Resistance
Resistance to polio vaccination persists in Pakistan’s border regions, fueled by misinformation, conspiracy theories, and religious opposition. Some local clerics have declared the vaccine un-Islamic, and lingering suspicions surrounding vaccination campaigns intensified after a CIA-led fake vaccination drive in 2011 aimed at locating Al-Qaeda’s Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. This act eroded trust in polio vaccination campaigns, creating lasting skepticism that endangers the lives of health workers and impedes immunization efforts.
As Pakistan continues its campaign to eliminate polio, security remains a pressing issue for health workers in remote areas. The loss of two more policemen highlights the bravery of those who support Pakistan’s mission to create a polio-free future, even amid constant threats from militant groups.
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