Polio campaign remains suspended in Gadap as 12 suspects arrested

Police say terrorist organisations were not behind the attacks.


Our Correspondent July 22, 2012

KARACHI:


Polio immunisation activities at Gadap Town remained suspended on Saturday after two consecutive attacks on a United Nations doctor and a local community worker took place in less than a week.


Meanwhile, law enforcement personnel detained nearly 12 suspects for questioning from Gadap Town, but police were unable to capture the actual perpetrators.

Mohammad Ishaq Kakar, 35, was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle near his clinic in Junejo Town late on Friday. Hailing from Quetta, Kakar lived at Al-Asif Square and was running his clinic for the last 12 years. The UN’s Dr Dedo David survived a murderous attack in the same area on July 17.

DSP Iftikhar Lodhi dispelled the impression that the Taliban or other terrorist organisations were behind the attack, or if the banning of polio campaigns in North and South Waziristan had any bearing on the attacks. He said that the UN doctor was injured when the culprits were trying to rob him, while Kakar was a quack doctor, who had been practicing in the area from many years.

Police have registered FIR no. 501/12 under section 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code against unknown men.

Kakars’s brother Enayatullah said that his brother had no enmity with anyone, and that their family was itself trying to ascertain the motive behind the incident.

A source privy to the investigation said on the condition of anonymity that the area where the attacks took place was under control of the Sher Zaman Mehsud aka Sheru group of outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan members, and that the police suspected that the group was behind both attacks. Sher Zaman was also found involved in the bombing of the convoy of Malir district SSP Rao Anwar in Malir Halt, as well as in the murder of policemen in Sohrab Goth and surrounding areas.

World Health Organisation Pakistan communications officer Maryam Yunus told The Express Tribune that Kakar was not affiliated with the WHO or the UN. She added that talks about reopening immunisation activities were under way.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2012.

COMMENTS (1)

ajay | 11 years ago | Reply

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