Karachi [Pakistan], December 21 (ANI): Six individuals were arrested and charged on Friday following an alleged attack on a polio vaccination team and their police escorts by residents in Karachi’s Korangi area, Dawn reported.
The incident occurred in an informal settlement, highlighting ongoing challenges in the fight against polio in Pakistan, one of the last two countries alongside Afghanistan where the disease remains endemic. Despite global vaccination efforts, polio continues to affect children under five, sometimes resulting in lifelong paralysis.
The attack took place during a week-long polio immunisation drive launched by the Sindh government earlier this week. The drive, which aims to vaccinate 10.6 million children under five, comes after 64 polio cases have been reported in Pakistan this year, with 18 of them from Sindh.
The polio team, accompanied by police officers, was targeting children in the Korangi-2, Sector-20 area as part of their efforts.
According to a statement from the Korangi senior superintendent of police (SSP), the polio workers and their security personnel were attacked by a tribal family as they arrived at their doorstep. The statement further revealed that when the situation escalated, the Korangi deputy superintendent of police (DSP), accompanied by female police officers and Rangers, arrived at the scene, Dawn reported.
The family reportedly responded aggressively, throwing stones at the police, which prompted the authorities to take control of the situation. As a result, four women and two men were arrested, and a case was registered against them following government instructions.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah condemned the attack, emphasising that any violence against polio workers would not be tolerated. Chief Minister Shah was promptly informed by Karachi’s Additional Inspector General of Police Javed Odho, who confirmed that action had been taken against the suspects, reported Dawn.
The Chief Minister ordered all deputy commissioners to reassess the security arrangements for polio workers, instructing the Korangi district commissioner to meet with the affected team to offer support. Additionally, Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Asif Hyder Shah emphasised that the safety of polio workers was paramount, ensuring that medical treatment was provided to those injured.
The Korangi police filed a case against the suspects under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including those related to rioting, obstructing public servants, and causing physical harm. The Head Constable of the police, Munib Qaiser, reported that when the polio workers insisted on vaccinating children, the women from the household became agitated and attacked the team.
As the situation intensified, two armed men emerged from the house and began assaulting the polio personnel. The police attempted to intervene, but they were also attacked, and their uniforms were torn.
A few other individuals, believed to be from the Pashtun community, reportedly joined the assault. Despite significant resistance, police were able to arrest four women and two men, though other individuals managed to flee the scene, Dawn reported.
Korangi SSP Kamran Khan confirmed that two shovels were recovered from the detained suspects during the arrest. This violent incident underscores the ongoing difficulties faced by health and law enforcement teams working to eradicate polio, and highlights the need for improved security and public cooperation. (ANI)
