Female polio worker gunned down in Bannu

Driver of auto-rickshaw was travelling in also succumbed to his wounds: police

BANNU: A female polio worker and her rickshaw driver were killed by unidentified armed assailants near Nazim Bazar area late on Monday, police officials said.

The lady health worker, identified as Bastaj Bibi daughter of Munawar Shah, was attacked while returning from Baka Khel Wazir IDPs camp during a three-day polio vaccination drive launched on December 9.

Suspects riding a motorcycle opened fire on her as she disembarked from rickshaw, leaving both Bibi and rickshaw driver, Abdul Rauf a resident of Hassan Khel area, critically injured. They were rushed to Khalifa Gulnawaz Teaching Hospital but succumbed to their injuries soon after.

A first information report (FIR) of the incident has been lodged at Basia Khel Police Station.

The assailants escaped after committing the murder. Police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. However, no arrest was made during the operation.

According to an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) for Polio, the number of children affected by the poliovirus in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa soared to 68 in the current year while the total number of polio cases in the country reached 94.

Lakki Marwat and Bannu are declared high-risk districts for polio cases in 2019 as 15 and 24 polio cases were reported in both the districts respectively. Polio cases from Lower and Upper Kohistan have been reported for the first time this year.

Amongst other districts, eight polio cases were reported in North Waziristan, seven in Tor Ghar and two in Hangu. One polio case each was reported in Bajaur, Charsadda, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Shangla, Tank and South Waziristan.

Up till now, seven cases had been reported from Balochistan, five from Punjab and 13 from Sindh so far.