DERA MURAD JAMALI: A policeman protecting a polio vaccination team in Dera Murad Jamali town of Balochistan’s Nasirabad district was killed on Wednesday, while three polio workers were abducted in a separate attack in KP, officials said.
According to police officials, the polio team was on its way home on a lunch break when armed men on motorcycles opened fire on the police personnel accompanying them. As a result, Constable Farhan Bashir was martyred.
The police constable was on his way home for a lunch break with a polio team, when armed men on motorcycles opened fire. Constable Farhan Bashir was killed in the attack.
“A constable was martyred after armed men opened fire on police personnel. However, the other members of the team remained unhurt in the firing,” Nasirabad Senior Superintendent of Police Asad Nasar told Dawn.
Three polio workers abducted in Bannu
The assailants fired ten 9mm bullets at the constable, killing him on the spot before fleeing the scene, SSP Nasar said. He added that no one had immediately claimed responsibility for the attack and that a search operation was underway to find those involved.
Despite the incident, Nasirabad Deputy Commissioner Zulfiqar Ali Karrar said the anti-polio campaign would continue in the district.
The violence came just two days after the nationwide campaign began, when another police constable was killed and four others were injured Monday in an attack on law enforcement heading to provide security for polio teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district.
Three polio workers abducted
Meanwhile, suspected militants abducted three polio workers on the third day of the ongoing anti-polio campaign in the jurisdiction of Township police station.
According to police, the incident took place in Dawar Colony, Jhandu Khel, where polio workers from BHU Ghazi Marjan were administering polio vaccine to children.
The abducted workers have been identified as Karimullah, Mishqat Ullah, and Shahzeb Khan.
Upon receiving information, Township police immediately reached the scene, cordoned off the area and started a search operation to recover the abducted polio workers.
Police sources said that a total of 18 polio teams were deployed at BHU Ghazi Marjan and 39 policemen had been assigned for their protection.
However, sources revealed that the polio in-charge had instructed the police not to accompany the teams, arguing that presence of security personnel could increase potential risks for the workers.
It is worth noting that the district administration imposed Section 144 from April 12 to 20 to maintain law and order. According to an official notification, the display of weapons, pillion riding, and the use of tinted vehicle windows have been banned.
Muhammad Waseem Khan in Bannu also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2026
