Anti-polio doctor shot dead in Karachi

E-Paper | June 14, 2026

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Policemen on a street in Karachi. — File photo

KARACHI: A doctor associated with the polio prevention campaign of World Health Organisation was gunned down in the city’s Al-Asif Square area on Friday night.

On July 17, Dr Fosten Dido, a foreign doctor working for the WHO and associated with the immunisation work, was shot at and wounded in the same area.

Police said 45-year-old Dr Ishaq was shot dead by yet identified persons inside his private clinic in Junejo Town.

SDPO Iftikhar Lodhi said the assailants who had come on a motorcycle, entered the clinic and shot the doctor in the chest.

Maryum Younas, a spokesperson for the WHO Pakistan, said Dr Ishaq had a short-term contract with the organisation. He was hired in April for the immunisation campaign and was not a regular employee of the WHO.

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Pakistan

The author is a freelance journalist. He has previously been associated with Dawn and Reuters.

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Observer

Jul 21, 2012 10:36am

Very unfortunate. All this is because of too much illiteracy and resistance to accept new , progressive ideas. Here, lawyers shower petals on a murderer of a Governor. Allah save this country.

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uthmanmalik

Jul 21, 2012 10:34am

It also takes a lot to become a doctor inside Pakistan. The instability and maniac reactionaries this 10+ year US war in our neighborhood has caused a total social collapse.

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Fouzia Rahman

Jul 21, 2012 11:23am

Pakistan's polio transmission is prevalent in Pushtun Communities living in ghettos like "Sohrab Goth" where the killing took place. These ghettos are hiding places for criminals from FATA, Afghanistan and other Pushtun speaking provinces in the country . It is pathetic what happended to "polio team" in these areas. Where is Government's writ ???

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ruqiya

Jul 27, 2012 03:32am

never under estimate the power of a deranged people. when God wants to destroy a people He makes them go mad so they they will perform the ultimate act of self destruction themselves. read your history books, the time of reckoning is upon us.

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Bakhtawer Bilal

Jul 21, 2012 03:37am

In the case of murders committed by religious zealots, no one has been given any sentence by any court of law. Not even in the case when the murderer has acknowledged the crime. Unfortunately, there will be few false claims, few story lines and the life of another person would be forgotten. In what remotest manner was this doctor connected to the drone attacks? As long as we have a soft corner for the murderers, they will keep us killing. They are carrying out the killings not only in the FATA but in our biggest cities. We will repent one day, Alas it will be too late.

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SRK

Jul 21, 2012 05:00am

Such arrogant, illiterate, and pathetic masses those are willing to destroy any source of light that could potentially help them. There is no way to reason with such mind set. I feel just sorry for the poor children who will suffer the consequence of these acts and may be crippled from this now considered a disease of prehistoric time.

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amer

Jul 21, 2012 06:30am

what does it mean not a regular employee....my heart goes out for him and his family. He has been slained and all these ppl can say that he was not a regular employee. Shamful and very shamful. Its just sums up the whole bloddy state of affaris of the whole country.

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George - San Diego

Jul 21, 2012 07:23am

Words are hard to describe. Pakistan is fast becoming Libya/Syria/Mexico. How would you describe such despicable acts of violence against doctors. People have no idea what it takes to become a doctor outside of Pakistan. I true devotion to service and lot of hard work. Killing any human being is deplorable but killing a doctor just pathetic. Pakistani police or people in the media has no desire to push this issue in the fore front and try to find a solution.

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KhanChangezKhan

Jul 22, 2012 08:27am

We should not get access to any foreign AID and vaccinations workers in the light of their past activities against our people and state. Most of them are spies of US and our other enemies’ countries.

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Justice Truth

Jul 21, 2012 04:37pm

Just to make sure everyone here understands the real reasons behind these senseless killings! Read this before speculating, especially you George from US. Can you ever imagine your gov showing this callousness towards Americans? While protecting their own interests, poor people of any country or nation are expendable for them. CIA tactics to trap Bin Laden linked with polio crisis, say aid groups CIA's ploy to use a fake vaccination scheme to track down bin Laden has increased distrust of polio drops in Pakistan http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/02/aid-g...

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George - San Diego

Jul 21, 2012 08:12am

KARACHI: A doctor associated with the polio prevention campaign of World Health Organisation was gunned down in the city’s Al-Asif Square area on Friday night.

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Lax Sawkar

Jul 21, 2012 08:08pm

Don' t blame US for all ills of Pakistan. Search your conscious and find why you elect such corrupt politicians who are intrested making money rather than educating the masses and feeding poor people. Democracy works when people make proper choices of their leaders. Remember the Tunisian vendor who changed the government?

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