Cops escorting polio team shot dead in D I Khan

Dawn.com Published March 11, 2014

PESHAWAR: Two policemen escorting a polio vaccination team for security were shot dead in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday, DawnNews reported.

The two cops were returning to their homes after performing their duties when the were targeted by unknown gunmen in Garo Ahmed area of D I Khan, killing the two on the spot.

Police and rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the bodies to a hospital for post-mortem.

Efforts to eradicate it have been seriously hampered by the deadly targeting of vaccination teams in recent years.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, chairing a meeting of Polio Task Force at the PM Secretariat in Islamabad, expressed concerns over stopping of the polio immunisation campaign by force.

Sharif said that a health emergency had been imposed in the country to eradicate polio from it.

Talking about the worrisome number of polio cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federelly Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) the premier said that polio vaccine should be available to every child in the country.

He, moreover, expressed fears of a travel ban being imposed of Pakistanis owing to the growing number of polio cases.

The prime minister also said that no compromise would be made on the National Emergency Action Plan for polio eradication.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Jan 17 had declared Pakistan's troubled northwestern city of Peshawar as the world’s “largest reservoir” of endemic polio and called for urgent action to boost vaccination.

Militant groups see vaccination campaigns as a cover for espionage, and there are also long running rumours about polio drops causing infertility.

Increasing number of polio cases have give rise to fears that Pakistanis could face travel restrictions over the growing polio cases in the country.

Pakistan

Polio team attacked in D I Khan; policeman killed

Blasts targeting polio team kill 11 in Khyber agency

Two polio workers among six kidnapped from FR Tank

Jawaid Dilawar

Mar 11, 2014 02:33pm

I hope when Mr. Imran Khan will open Taliban offices in KP, he will ensure the Polio Vaccination facility in those offices.

Recommend 0

Parvez

Mar 11, 2014 02:52pm

....and Nawaz Sharif still wants to talk with them.

Recommend 0

Akram

Mar 11, 2014 02:54pm

maybe there should be a travel ban on areas with polio within Pakistan, starting with North Waziristan and parts of FATA?

Recommend 0

Usman Ansari

Mar 11, 2014 02:57pm

Isn't this another violation of the ceasefire by the TTP? Hit them again PAF!

Recommend 0

Sajjad

Mar 11, 2014 03:09pm

Some un-heared faction of Taliban will take responsibility of this and Taliban will say that we have no connection with that out fit..

Recommend 0

S. A. M.

Mar 11, 2014 03:46pm

i thought ttp had annunced a month long ceasefire.

Recommend 0

AHA

Mar 11, 2014 03:54pm

Collectively, we have lost our ability to think. We prefer to believe. I am not sure any more if we actually BELIEVE that murdering of all those involved in saving our children from polio is wrong.

Recommend 0

Last Word

Mar 11, 2014 04:23pm

Not to worry, the killings were carried out by the unpatriotic Taliban who according the Interior minister are not more than 20%. The talks must continue with the patriotic Taliban who after the agreement reached shall stop all types of violence and start playing cricket under the able guidance of the PTI Chief.

Recommend 0

Sri Lankan Muslim

Mar 11, 2014 04:24pm

@Parvez: Your prime minister is a foolish man! No one else in the world will trust the terrorists except your PM!

Recommend 0

saqlain

Mar 11, 2014 04:39pm

Imran Khan friend of Taliban all he wants they keep killing innocent people and he keep tell us we should be friends with them. Killing Poor Police men who trying to save kids from Polio very poor attempt.

Recommend 0

mohsin

Mar 11, 2014 05:58pm

@Jawaid Dilawar: Didnt IK start the campaign himself !!!! Stop bitching about PTI will you. Polio is not a cause of IK or his support for peace talks. If you had a common sense you would notice how he has actually done alot to eradicate this manace.

Recommend 0

Nafisa

Mar 11, 2014 08:56pm

Polio teams and the police personnel should be provided with' bullet proof vests and vehicles'. More security and sophistication is needed to outsmart terrorists who find an easy target and rationalization to attack Polio workers and their guards.

Recommend 0

Sunny

Mar 11, 2014 09:14pm

Polio is caused by one of three types of poliovirus (which are members of the Enterovirus genus). These viruses spread through contact between people, by nasal and oral secretions, and by contact with contaminated feces. Poliovirus enters the body through the mouth, multiplying along the way to the digestive tract, where it further multiplies. In about 98% of cases, polio is a mild illness, with no symptoms or with viral-like symptoms. In paralytic polio, the virus leaves the digestive tract, enters the bloodstream, and then attacks nerve cells. Fewer than 1%-2% of people who contract polio become paralyzed. In severe cases, the throat and chest may be paralyzed. Death may result. There were 15,128 cases of Polio reported in US as recent as 1956. US scientist worked on this menace and have successfully eliminated this disease by inventing polio vaccinations and drops. Although western countries have developed these vaccinations, they do not have monopoly on them. On one hand, Concerns of some Pakistanis about Polio medicine, coming from western countries, is understandable on the other hand what is stopping a country of 20M from making Polio and other vaccinations? Instead of concentrating on next life 24 hours a day, put some time on these issues and problems.

Recommend 0