Another policeman assigned to protect polio workers has been matryred in Peshawar on Tuesday.
The development comes as anti-polio campaign is underway to vaccinate 16.5 million against the crippling disease. Pakistan, one of only two countries with the viral disease, reported fourth polio case of the year last week, when a toddler from the country’s southern Shikarpur city was found infected with the disease.
Reports in local media suggest that police officer, Shahnawaz, was killed in the Suleman Khel area while on his way to duty. The perpetrators have not been identified, and a search is underway to apprehend them.
In year 2024, 12 police officers have been killed while providing security for vaccination campaigns in KP province. Anti-polio efforts in Pakistan often face violence, with militants targeting vaccination teams and their police escorts.
Pakistan registers fourth Poliovirus case of the year in Sindh s Shikarpur