Polio workers back in the crosshairs

Two injured over the last week; one suspect claims vaccine contains ‘virus’

LAHORE: Authorities in the provincial capital failed to provide safe cover to polio workers. In the past week, two cases of polio teams being attacked were reported.

In light of the aggression against polio workers throughout the country, the vaccination campaign was called off, leaving millions of children at the risk of contracting the crippling disease.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, a health official, choosing anonymity, said samples collected in the city tested positive for the polio virus.

Despite this, the first attack on a polio teams was reported at Amir Road, Bombay Jhugiyan in Shadbagh. Suspect Abdullah attacked polio workers Fatima Parveen and Luqman Idrees with a knife, leaving the latter wounded. He attacked the workers over an argument regarding administering polio drops.

In a statement to the police, Abdullah claimed that the vaccine contained a virus that was killing children.

The second incident was reported in Khan Colony, Nishter Colony where polio worker Mohsin Nazir registered a complaint stating that he and other officials were doing the rounds when an angry mob attacked them and tore their clothes.

Polio worker martyred in Chaman

The attackers also threatened them with dire consequences if they did not stop performing their duties.

Previously in February 2016, a polio worker was injured in Sanda after unidentified armed suspects opened fire.

Daring escape

In addition, two women made a daring escape from Darul Aman in Nawan Kot. Reportedly, the two girls, identified as Rubina Sattar and Shumaila Shahzad, broke down the wall of the washroom and created a hole just big enough for them to wriggle their way out.

Since the lower portion of the wall was covered with tiles and difficult to break, they concentrated on the upper half.

Their efforts bore fruit when they managed to create a big enough crater. The fallen bricks were then piled up by the two girls and used to gain leverage and climb up to the hole.

The girls used the five or six scarves as rope and tied one side to the commode. They used their creation to climb down the wall and fled from the scene. Nawan Kot police managed to safely recover the girls.

Separately, a man killed his father and two sisters while also injuring his younger brother over a family dispute. Reportedly, Awais wished to remarry his ex-wife but his family was not in support of this decision. On the day of the incident, the accused argued with his family and opened fire on them in a fit of rage.

A father, Shafiq, was arrested for torturing and breaking the arm of his four-year-old daughter Eman in Sabzazar area. Allegedly, Shafiq had divorced his wife and had forcefully taken custody of the minor.

Anti-polio drive stumbles just before finish line

A female student, identified as Romal died on Raiwind Road after a gas cylinder burst. Several others were also injured in the incident.

In perhaps the most shocking of developments, a police constable was arrested for kidnapping a man. Police are currently looking for two other police officials, ASI Ghulam Hussain and ASI Faheem, in relation to the case.

Two suspected robbers from a group of six were shot dead by a citizen during a robbery attempt in Hajarwal.

On Saturday, a young man named Haseeb jumped into River Ravi after being physically assaulted by the family of a female friend.

Changing colours: Uniform issue resurfaces

As newly incumbent Punjab Police Inspector General Arif Nawaz settles down in his role, he is holding meetings with key government officials and the police’s chain of command in order to iron out his policy for the force.

Since assuming office, the IGP is now faced with the issue of changing police officials’ uniforms, a question that has resurfaced time and again.

Two years ago, the black shirt and khaki pants combo was replaced with the olive green attire during the tenure of IGP Mushtaq Sukhera. The debate regarding changing the uniform had been a decade-old argument in the department. The move was not welcomed by all sections of the police force. Dissenting voices reverberated among cadre officers and officials from other ranks.

Imran Khan greets Swat’s heroic polio workers’ team at PM House

 

This is best represented by the fact that IGP Usman Khattak assumed charge dressed in the black shirt and khaki pants combo while the remaining officials at the ceremony were wearing the olive green uniform. Later, an eight member committee was constituted to deliberate the issue.

However, the committee’s recommendations were put on the back burners after a change in the force’s command.

During IGP Amjad Javed Saleemi’s tenure, the decision to change the colour of the uniform was once again taken up by the government.

Announcing it via his Twitter account, the spokesperson for the Punjab government said that the back shirt and khaki pants combo will once again be adopted by the force. However, after deliberating on the matter, Saleemi announced that the olive green uniform will be replaced with a uniform resembling the outfits donned by the Islamabad police; this includes a light blue shirt and navy pants.

However, July is a mere hop, skip and a stone’s throw away. Yet in true Shakespearean fashion, the police force is still deliberating on what to wear and what not to wear.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2019.