Cop guarding polio team martyred

QUETTA:

A police constable was martyred on Wednesday after a polio vaccination team he was guarding came under attack in the T&T Colony area of Dera Murad Jamali.

Nasirabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Asad Nasar told The Express Tribune that the incident occurred when the polio team entered a house to administer drops to children.

Constable Farman Bashir Behrani was standing guard outside the house when armed men on a motorcycle opened fire on him. He died on the spot, while the attackers fled immediately afterwards.

SSP Nasar said the police arrived shortly after the incident, moved the body to Civil Hospital Dera Murad Jamali and launched a search operation after cordoning off the area.

Nasirabad Deputy Commissioner Zulfiqar Ali Karar and SSP Nasar visited the hospital soon after the attack. Nasar described the killing as an "act of terrorism" and said the police were investigating the matter from all angles.

Two days ago, another police officer was martyred and four others injured when gunmen opened fire on personnel deployed to protect polio vaccination teams in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Hangu.

The attack occurred near Chapri Waziran within the jurisdiction of Thall Police Station. The martyred officer was identified as Israrul Haq, a resident of Shangla, who was undergoing an intermediate-level police training course.

The incident came as a week-long anti-polio campaign began nationwide on Monday, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children under the age of five. Polio workers, who conduct door-to-door immunisation drives, have frequently been targeted, particularly in K-P and Balochistan. In 2024 alone, at least 20 people were killed and 53 were injured during anti-polio operations in the province.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) expressed deep concern at incidents targeting polio teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

In a statement, Ayesha Raza Farooq, the prime minister's focal person on polio eradication, said that she was deeply saddened by the martyrdom of the police official in Nasirabad.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and stand in solidarity with our law enforcement personnel and frontline workers who continue to serve despite these risks. Their courage reflects the best of our national spirit, and we will not allow such acts of violence to undermine this vital mission. The safety of our teams remains non-negotiable," she said.