Polio workers attacked in Muzaffargarh for 'peeping' into houses

Local resident alleged that one of the male members of the polio team was peeping into his house

MULTAN: Four anti-polio vaccination workers were attacked by residents of Muzaffargarh district on Wednesday after male members of the team were accused of prying into houses.   

According to the available details, the workers, Muhammad Shahid, his wife Memoona, Ghulam Akbar and Abida Sultan, were assigned to vaccinate children in Budhpur area of Shah Jamal in Muzaffargarh. Memoona and Abida are Lady Health Workers (LWH) employees while Shahid and Ghulam were marking in the region.

Memoona had gone into Mian Jehangeer Maqwal's house while Shahid stood outside.

While vaccinating, Maqwal accused Shahid of peeping inside his house. Shahid explained that he is not allowed to enter in the houses and was only standing outside the house to mark it.

Maqwal, however, called his cousin Jehandaad Maqwal and other residents of the area who assaulted Shahid.

Memoona, Akbar and Sultan tried to rescue Shahid, but they were also attacked by the locals and their clothes were torn.

Somehow they managed to get the word out to the police to rescue them.

As police officials arrived on the scene, the assailants fled.

Subsequently, the police lodged a case based on Memoona’s application against the two known and eight unknown assailants at the Shah Jamal police station. FIR no 549/2014 was registered with penal code sections including 379, 342, 354, 353, 186.

EDO health district of Muzaffargarh Dr Athar told The Express Tribune that the male health workers are never allowed to enter houses and he has never received any complaints about this team for the three years they have been involved in anti-polio campaigns in the district.

He added that he has ordered a probe in the matter.

Wednesday was the last day of the polio campaign in the region.