PESHAWAR – A police official on polio duty was martyred by unknown gunmen in a town of Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on the opening day of the first campaign of the running year.
The incident took place in Jamrud town of the district when the suspects, who were riding a motorcycle, targeted the cop near Sakhi Pul.
A police spokesperson said the constable, identified as Abdul Khaliq, was going on duty to guard the vaccinators when he was shot dead.
He said an investigation has been launched into the matter.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the incident targeting the anti-polio drive team in Khyber.
“We salute the duty of martyred Constable Abdul Khaliq while on duty to secure the future of our children,” he wrote.
In 2024, 20 people were killed and 53 injured during anti-polio campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formally launched the first anti-polio drive of the year to eradicate the poliovirus from the country.
A ceremony to this effect was held in Islamabad on Sunday, where he administered polio drops to the children.
Addressing the launching ceremony, the prime minister expressed the determination to eradicate polio from Pakistan. He said millions of children will be vaccinated in the length and breadth of the country during this campaign.
Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad, through international partners, also has close coordination with Kabul and hopefully poliovirus will be eliminated from neighbouring Afghanistan as well through mutual support.
The prime minister appreciated and thanked international partners, including WHO, UNICEF, and Saudi Arabia for their generous support in fighting fatal diseases.
