Police Officer Attacked While Assisting Polio Campaign in Pakistan

Islamabad, Feb 3 (NationPress) A police officer was fatally shot by unidentified militants in the northwest region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on Monday morning, according to official sources.

The attack occurred around 9:20 am local time (GMT 0420) in the Khyber district, where the officer was on duty supporting a polio vaccination initiative.

The assailants reportedly fled the scene after stealing the officer's submachine gun, the sources noted.

No group has yet taken responsibility for the assault; however, reports indicate that militant activities have escalated in the area, notably from factions linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

The police have cordoned off the area as an investigation into the incident has begun, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Pakistan remains one of the last two countries globally that is still battling polio, alongside Afghanistan. The nation has seen a troubling rise in poliovirus cases, with 73 instances of this debilitating disease documented in 2024.

Over the years, concerns have been raised regarding the Pakistani government's ongoing struggle to control the poliovirus, particularly in conflict-ridden provinces such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, where there have been rejections of vaccination campaigns and even attacks on health workers.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched a nationwide anti-polio campaign for 2025, emphasizing the government's commitment to eradicating polio from the South Asian nation.

The vaccination initiative, scheduled from February 3 to February 9, aims to reach millions of children to safeguard their health and future, as stated by the Prime Minister during the campaign launch.

He assured that polio teams would travel to remote regions and villages across the country to eliminate the virus, expressing hope that these teams would fulfill their significant national duty with utmost dedication.

Sharif reported that there were 73 polio cases last year, which posed a considerable challenge, with only one new case reported this year so far.

Reiterating his determination to eradicate polio at all costs, Sharif noted that effective teamwork and international support are vital in combating the disease.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), polio is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system and can lead to total paralysis within hours. The virus spreads primarily through person-to-person contact, especially via the faecal-oral route or less commonly through contaminated food or water, multiplying in the intestines.

Initial symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, neck stiffness, and limb pain.