QUETTA: “Every anti-polio drive haunts us. Each campaign reminds us of the tragedy which struck our family last year,” says Ayaz Raisani.

A resident of Quetta, Ayaz narrates the ordeal of his broken family on the eve of World Polio Day.

Ejaz Raisani, Ayaz’s brother, was a polio volunteer who was killed by armed men whilst executing an anti-polio campaign on November 26, 2014, along with three other female volunteers in Quetta's Bypass area.

Take a look: Four polio workers shot dead in Quetta

The killing of female polio workers, which was claimed by defunct militant group Jundullah, was strongly condemned by people from all walks of life.

Ejaz’s wife, Salma Ejaz, was injured in the attack which left her husband dead. Salma was an anti-polio campaign volunteer at the time who, along with her husband, would earn a living for their family.

She was awarded the position of a Lady Health Worker (LHW) by the Balochistan government so that she could continue supporting her household.

As Ayaz Raisani recounts the tragic incident, his voice cracks.

Ejaz volunteered during every anti-polio campaign in Sariab and the Eastern Bypass areas of Quetta. He also ran a small general store in Killi Bangulzai, a remote area in Quetta.

"We cannot forget the day my brother was killed," Ayaz says. He remembers the pain he felt when he learned of the attack.

"We don’t know why my brother and other volunteers were targeted."

Ayaz is a vaccinator in the health department. He has taken on the responsibility of caring for his brother’s children and their mother.

"My aged mother has become mute in her agony," Raisani says, referring to the pain of his mother at the passing of her other son.

Ejaz left behind four children ─ two daughters and two sons ─ their ages ranging from 8 to 14 years.

Her eyes welling with tears, Ejaz’s daughter — 14-year-old Rida Bibi — tells this reporter, "I cannot forget my beloved father.”

His 10-year-old son, Abdul Musawir sadly remembers, "My father used to love me a lot."

The children study in a nearby private school, but the terror-hit family complains of the low quality of education. "Their mother cannot afford the high fees of schools that provide a higher quality of education,” says Ayaz.

The provincial government had announced Rs2 million compensation for the bereaved family, but despite the passage of nearly a year since the attack, Ejaz’s widow has yet to receive the promised amount.

"The government has only provided Rs250,000 on an emergency basis. The authorities are yet to provide the remaining Rs1.5m so that we can provide better education to these children,” complains Ayaz.

Ayaz says that besides the provincial government, Unicef, the World Health Organisation and Rotary Club have also ignored the victims' families.

"They could at least support the education of the children,” says Ayaz.

Secretary Health Balochistan, Noor ul Haq Baloch, while taking notice of the delay in payment of compensation to the family assures all efforts will be made to ensure immediate payment. "I will personally look after this case", Baloch says.

Despite all odds, Ayaz Raisani and his family are committed to working with polio volunteers to eradicate the crippling disease from the country.

However, militants in Balochistan have repeatedly attacked polio teams and targeted volunteers participating in anti-polio drives.

In Quetta and other parts of Balochistan, security personnel escort polio teams during every immunisation campaign to ensure their security.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the two countries where polio is still endemic. At least six polio cases have been reported in Balochistan this year. The government has imposed an emergency across the province to eradicate the crippling virus.