QUETTA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday denied that it was suspending operations in Balochistan province a day after the cold-blooded murder of four polio vaccinators in Quetta.

“WHO would like to categorically dispel the notion of closing down or withdrawing its operations in Balochistan or anywhere else in Pakistan,” said a statement sent to the press from Dr Michel Thieren, WHO representative in Pakistan.

Well-placed sources in the WHO’s polio programme had told Dawn.com earlier today that the organisation was suspending its activities in Balochistan following the murders in Quetta and looming threats to polio workers in Balochistan.

However, the press statement later in the day claimed that the organisation was only applying “a standard and routine measure to limit its staff and contractor’s exposure to any unsettled security situation”.

“Such [a] measure intends to take the needed time to analyse in depth the event and its aftermath, and to explore working environment ahead of a prompt reversal of the measure taken,” said the statement from the WHO representative.

The statement said the WHO remained committed to its goal of eradicating polio from Pakistan.

Take a look: Polio workers boycott campaign in Balochistan as 4 workers gunned down

For over 20 years, WHO and the United Nations International Children’s Educational Fund (Unicef) have been assisting the provincial government of Balochistan in eradicating polio virus from the province.

Meanwhile, Unicef has also scaled down its activities in Balochistan because of security threats to its staff.

An officer of the Unicef, who requested anonymity owing to the sensitivity of the matter, told Dawn that communication programmes of the organisations were halted for an indefinite period in the province.

“We will not be launching programmes to motivate the people to administer polio drops to their kids,” he said.

Similarly, the Unicef has also forbidden its staff from visiting far-flung areas of Balochistan in the aftermath of the polio workers' killing in Quetta.

“We have also stopped our outreach programme,” he added.

Security around UN offices in Balochistan was tightened after the attack.

Chief Secretary Balochistan Saifullah Chattha chaired an emergency meeting and invited all UN heads in the province to deliberate over security threats. He also directed police to tighten security around UN offices.

Police officers suspended

Inspector General Police Balochistan Muhammad Amlaish Khan has suspended two police officers for their failure to prevent the attack on the polio vaccination team yesterday.

According to a spokesman for the Balochistan police, Khan suspended the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shafqat Amer and Station House Officer (SHO) Sariab Noor Baksh.

“An initial investigation launched into the attack shows the incident occurred due to their negligence,” he said.