Gunmen kill two female polio workers, policeman in Mansehra

E-Paper | May 06, 2026

PESHAWAR: Gunmen on Tuesday killed two women who were members of a polio vaccination team and a police guard in Mansehra, the latest in a spate of deadly attacks on the teams.

Police said unknown gunmen fired at workers Kaneez Nargis and Farah Gul as they gave polio drops to children in Mansehra's area of Dana. Police constable Ishfaq was also killed in the attack.

Senior local police official, Akhtar Hayat, confirmed the incident and casualties.

Pakistan is one of only three countries where polio remains endemic.

Attempts to eradicate it have been badly hit by militant attacks on immunisation teams that have claimed 76 lives since December 2012.

The militants claim the polio vaccination drive is a front for espionage or a conspiracy to sterilise Muslims.

Last year, the number of polio cases recorded in Pakistan soared to 306, the highest in 14 years.

Examine: Nationwide polio campaign hits snags

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.

Pakistan

JUI-F to hold nationwide protests on Wednesday, Friday over killing of cleric Maulana Idrees

CM Afridi announces pen-down strike on May 6 over Centre’s ‘discrimination’ against KP

Prominent cleric Muhammad Idrees gunned down in KP's Charsadda

indian maestro

Mar 17, 2015 05:05pm

At least spare the innocent polio worker...

Recommend 0

chetan

Mar 17, 2015 05:06pm

islam is mostly not understood by muslims.

Recommend 0

Mar 17, 2015 05:07pm

People 's committees should be armed under such condition ti take on such goons.

Recommend 0

Abdul Kadir

Mar 17, 2015 05:38pm

Where is Charitable Hafiz Saeed's group?

Recommend 0

Srini

Mar 17, 2015 05:43pm

The way it is going, it looks like more people are getting killed than the people who are going to suffer with polio

Recommend 0

umar_chaudry@hotmail.com

Mar 17, 2015 05:53pm

Again I am lost for words....There are people helping save lives and performing selfless deeds....and then these animals trying to destroy in the good name of Islam.....I hope they are found and punished to the full extent of the law.

Recommend 0

ManoRanjan Ka BAAP

Mar 17, 2015 06:30pm

The polio workers are the real and brave soul of Pakistan...otherwise who would endanger their life for the future of their country...the kids.... RIP

Recommend 0

Mar 17, 2015 06:34pm

I don't understand why militants are targeting polio workers. Polio vaccination helps people. Is there any un-islamic in polio vaccination?

Recommend 0

Jamal

Mar 17, 2015 06:55pm

Why can't polio workers be provided secure premises from which to work instead of in the open. Are the murderers ever caught?

Recommend 0

IntellectualProcrastinator

Mar 17, 2015 06:58pm

@Abdul Kadir Kindly stop being so overly obsessive with this nobody. It's nauseating to see this name being thrown around everywhere. OT - It's terribly sad incident. May those brave souls rest in peace.

Recommend 0

Adnan

Mar 17, 2015 06:58pm

Everytime I hear of polio workers being targeted, I say to myself, how difficult is it to basically seall off a village or an area where vaccination is being provided and monitor entry of every motor cycle, car, truck etc. This will basically require more secuirty personnel but it would save lives of these polio workers. We are basically setting up these polio workers to be killed.

Recommend 0

Hamza

Mar 17, 2015 07:00pm

@indian maestro ask your Govt to stop funding TTP

Recommend 0

athar

Mar 17, 2015 07:15pm

khan sahab ... mian sahab ... either of you care to take notice of this national tragedy?

Recommend 0

N.S

Mar 17, 2015 07:41pm

Get the real mater mind...there is more to it than meets the eye. Who want Pakistan to fail in the polio eradication campaign, and get all the bad vibes in western world.

Recommend 0

Truth seeker

Mar 17, 2015 07:42pm

No words but RIP for martyrs....

Recommend 0

ABHAI SHARMA

Mar 17, 2015 08:48pm

Before competing with India in arms race, wouldn't it be prudent to ensure that the kids are polio free and are able to walk straight on two legs. Between, all the kids in Kashmir have been immunized for polio, is the same true for POK ?

Recommend 0

Harmony

Mar 17, 2015 08:57pm

Polio workers are the bravest of them all but government has failed to protect them. Some NGO should register a case against this government!

Recommend 0

CYRUS

Mar 17, 2015 09:07pm

Insanity.

Recommend 0

Rahul

Mar 17, 2015 09:15pm

This is such sad news. Have a strong feeling, these misguided and disillusioned sycophants can not be won over by fighting, but by education and inclusion into the civil society. These folks are sick.

Recommend 0

Shahzad Zafar

Mar 17, 2015 09:48pm

Polio is a disease wiped out in nearly every country of the world EXCEPT PAKISTAN. These brave workers were giving this drug and were killed because of this. This is so shaming on both counts! The Pakistan Federal and State governments should stop these field workers from travelling to these areas and insist on people bringing their children to safe centers to be vaccinated.

Recommend 0

Muslim

Mar 17, 2015 09:57pm

@chetan Great comment!

Recommend 0

Muslim

Mar 17, 2015 09:57pm

@ Chetan, great comment! very apt!

Recommend 0

GK Natarajan

Mar 17, 2015 10:49pm

what is happening in pak.? unbeleivable\incomprehansible! is there any sense in killing innocent people who help you to preveny a desease?

Recommend 0

farhan naseem

Mar 17, 2015 10:54pm

This is the height of jahlia

Recommend 0

dawn reader

Mar 17, 2015 11:44pm

the polio workers should be escorted by army at the first place not police. These islamists will not even hesitate to kill minors like we saw countless times before. Army is the only answer to these corrupted people.

Recommend 0

kk tiwari

Mar 18, 2015 12:02am

what these brutes want? A handicapped Pakistan?

Recommend 0

Shahid

Mar 18, 2015 12:40am

I just do not understand, why they do have also under cover officers plus the uniform officer with the workers, so they kill these target killers and find the people who are funding and sending these people.

Recommend 0

Zubaida Khan

Mar 18, 2015 02:47am

@ABHAI SHARMA There is no POK. We are not fighting the local population, we are of one faith, one language and have families across the border. Why are there 695,000 Indian troops in Kashmir? That is on soldier for every 17 kashmiri. There is Indian occupation of Kashmir as evidenced by the number of soldiers you have there. Why don't you remove the soldiers and let the people choose?

Recommend 0

Branded Content

Chery Master Pakistan wins Best Rising Star Global Award at Chery Global Conference 2026

The award reflects the rapid progress Chery has achieved in Pakistan, driven by strong market acceptance and growing consumer trust.

KP sets climate agenda, calls for global cooperation and green economy shift

The task ahead is not to define the problem, it is to accelerate solutions.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expands climate action with one Million Tree Drive and forest reforms

The province is turning policy into action through a series of large scale programmes aimed at rebuilding ecosystems and improving resilience against rising climate pressures.