The president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday a deadly attack against a polyomyelitis vaccination team in Nushki, Baluchistan.
An assigned police officer to protect the team was martyred, and another policeman was injured when the unidentified gunmen opened fire. The attack took place on Tuesday when the team did routine vaccination work in the area.
President Zardari expressed a deep concern for the incident and paid tribute to polyomyelitis workers who risk their lives to protect children throughout the country.
In a message linked to the national anti-political campaign, Zardari said that the cases of paralyzing disease have decreased by more than 90 percent due to consistent vaccination efforts, monitoring and courage of health teams.
However, he warned that the fight against polio is not over yet and requested continuous support for eradication efforts.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the attack and offered condolences to the family of the murdered worker. He promised that those responsible would face strict action and reaffirmed their government’s commitment to protect polyomyelitis teams from militant threats.
Pokistan polyomyelitis teams have frequently directed in mortal attacks, particularly in remote areas or affected by conflicts, which makes the country one of the only two where polyomyelitis remains endemic.
Pakistan has registered 10 cases of polio so far in 2025, according to the official figures.
Meanwhile, two polyomielis workers were kidnapped by armed men in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa tanks district, during an ongoing anti-political campaign on Monday.
The incident occurred in the tribal subdivision of Jandola. The victims were identified as Sifatullah, a member of Comnet staff, and Hizbullah, a volunteer. Both performed vaccination tasks at the time of kidnapping.
Pakistan launches the third Nationwide Poly Drive of 2025
The Pakistan Polio Program launched its third campaign of the Year of National Immunization Days (NIDS) on Sunday at the National Emergency Operations Center in Islamabad.
The campaign was inaugurated by Ayesha Raza Farooq, the focal person of the Prime Minister for the eradication of polyomyelitis, together with key officials of the associated program and organizations.
To mark the launch, Ayesha Raza Faooq administered the oral vaccine of polyomyelitis and vitamin A falls to children under five years of age, which reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eliminate polyomyelitis.
The one -week trip began on May 26 and aims to vaccinate more than 45 million children under five years.
