MASTUNG: Unidentified armed men killed a policeman on Friday after they attacked a polio team in the Mastung district of Balochistan.
The armed men opened fire on a group of female polio workers in the rural area of Kali Kariz, a suburb of Mantung district, and killed the policeman guarding the polio team during a vaccination drive.
The slain policeman identified as Shahzad Ahmad Bangalzai was shifted to Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Hospital for medico-legal formalities. Members of the polio team remained safe during the attack, police and security officials said.
Meanwhile, the police cordoned off the area after the attack and started a search operation to arrest the fleeing attackers.
Polio, a highly infectious and potentially crippling disease, has been a long-standing health challenge in Pakistan, and efforts to eliminate the disease have been ongoing.
Polio has been a persistent health issue in Pakistan. Vaccination campaigns are a crucial component of the national strategy to eradicate the disease. These campaigns have often faced violence and resistance in various parts of the country, fuelled by mistrust and ‘misconceptions.’
