QUETTA: The Balochistan government on Monday postponed an anti-polio campaign in Quetta owing to security threats.

The campaign was scheduled to be launched in the provincial capital from December 29th to administer polio drops to children below the age of five.

"All arrangements were finalised but in the morning the administration told us not to launch the campaign," an officer of the health department told Dawn.com.

The Balochistan govt has already declared an emergency to eradicate the crippling virus in the province, which has crossed 20 cases.

"The anti-polio campaign will be launched owing to an improvement in the security situation after a week," the officer stated.

The government has directed police and other law enforcement agencies to double security for the protection of polio teams in the provincial capital.

A special anti-polio campaign was launched in Quetta, Killa Abdullah, Pishin and other risk districts of the province to eradicate the virus.

Armed men had killed four polio workers including three females in November this year.

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The incident increased a sense of insecurity among the polio workers and volunteers engaged in eradicating the disease.