According to DPO Mian Saeed Ahmed, a two-man vaccination team was administering anti-polio drops around 1:25pm when suspected militants riding a motorcycle opened fire on them, injuring them. PHOTO: REUTERS
According to District Police Officer (DPO) Mian Saeed Ahmed, a two-man vaccination team was administering anti-polio drops around 1:25pm when suspected militants riding a motorcycle opened fire on them, injuring them.
He said the vaccinators — identified as schoolteacher Shiraz and paramedic Aziz Ahmad — were moved to the District Headquarters Hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries.
DPO Ahmed did not explain as to why the police officers escorting Shiraz and Aziz did not retaliate against the attack.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a police official claimed the two policemen escorting the vaccinators fled the attack instead of retaliating.
Eyewitness Subhan Sher corroborated the account, saying that the policemen ran away when the militants opened fire and returned once villagers had gathered around the injured vaccinators. Following the incident, heavy contingents of police and elite force blocked all entry and exit points of the district and launched a search operation in union council Pabini – where Khandaray village is located.
DPO Ahmed also allowed all vaccinators to carry firearms for their security during the vaccination campaign in the district. “The permission is only for polio vaccinators,” he told The Express Tribune.
The president of Swabi chapter of All Teachers Association, Ashraf Khan, and the president of Paramedic Association, Fazal Hakeem, demanded that the culprits be brought to justice.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 17th, 2013.
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I guess only option for government of Pakistan is to talk to these Taliban and hand over the vaccination program to them.If they don't trust government then let them do it.
@jibran:::The 'brain dead' is not what he calls himself,rather he is 'brain ahead',because he is speaking the fact which is usually hard for us to understand
We are sick people. We are not ready for our own accoutability. Blaming others is very easy and in present situation, blaming Army is very easy. This is not the job of Army, this is our job to point out those culpirts. Who are destorying us, who are klling our children. If we didn't stop these people, very soon doors of all countries will be closed on us. Because no one want these diseases in their country.
It is depressing to read about the attacks on polio workers, there seems to be one every few weeks.
A request to all well meaning Pakistani friends - could someone put up a website at least listing out all the brave, selfless people who have been murdered in the quest to eliminate polio. Someday (I hope), Pakistan will be polio free and these are the real Heroes/Heroines of your nation who need to be remembered and honoured.
@BrainDead: You got it all wrong. Army is just an instrument of the state. And the government can utilize its resources as it deems fit. Dictatorship is when it starts calling the shots instead of following orders of the civilians. There is huge difference between the two.
It is not the army's job to deal with civilian problems, continually expecting them to do so means you would prefer military dictatorship to a civilian democratic government. The core problems are this countries institutions ( e.g. Police) and the society.
DPO Ahmed also allowed all vaccinators to carry firearms +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ So now the poor vaccinators are on their own...the Police have washed their hands off.............
"DPO Ahmed also allowed all vaccinators to carry firearms" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ At least now no one will dare refuse a Polio Shot ( pun intended)!
Why can't Pak Army carry out vaccinations? This is the only alternative now left. Let the illustrious Pakistani Army which has won so many wars and brought laurels to the nation do one big favour for the coming generation of Pakistanis