• The Daily Hints
• 03 Feb, 2025

On the first day of Pakistan’s nationwide polio vaccination drive a police officer was shot dead while traveling to protect health workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Despite the attack the immunisation campaign continues across the country.

Deadly Attack on Security Escort

A police constable was ambushed by two gunmen on a motorcycle in Jamrud town while heading to guard a polio vaccination team. The attack resulted in his instant death according to local police official Zarmat Khan.

Rising Threats to Vaccination Teams

Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where polio is still endemic. Over the years, militants have frequently attacked health workers and their security escorts believing in false conspiracy theories about the vaccine.

- Polio cases surged in year 2024 with 73 infections compared to just six in 2023.

- The vaccination campaign, which began on Monday, aims to immunise millions of children over the next seven days.

Militant Attacks & Security Concerns

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which shares a border with Afghanistan is known for militant activities.

- The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) is the most active militant group in the region. 

- In 2024, Pakistan saw over 1,600 deaths due to terror attacks, making it the deadliest year in a decade. 

- In November 2024, a bomb blast targeting polio vaccinators’ security killed seven people including five children in Baluchistan.

Read More: Rahul Gandhi Slams UPA & NDA for Failing to Reduce Unemployment.

Government’s Response & Polio Eradication Efforts

Despite the violence the polio campaign is moving forward. Authorities have launched an investigation into the attack while security has been tightened for vaccination teams.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged the setbacks in polio eradication and emphasized that the government is committed to wiping out the disease at any cost.