A police constable providing security to an anti-polio team was martyred while another sustained injuries when unidentified attackers opened fire on them in Nushki, Balochistan, on Tuesday.
The incident prompted authorities to temporarily suspend the ongoing polio vaccination campaign in the district.
The Pakistan Polio Programme officially commenced its third National Immunisation Days (NIDs) campaign on Monday, to make Pakistan a polio-free nation.
The week-long campaign aims to immunise over 45 million children under five years of age. This effort is seen as a decisive step in the country’s final push to stop poliovirus transmission and achieve eradication by the end of 2025.
According to the Balochistan government spokesperson, Shahid Rind, the attack was an attempt to sabotage a vital national campaign and instil fear among the public.
“The anti-polio drive is a national obligation, and any attack on it is intolerable,” he said in a strongly worded statement, calling the assault a conspiracy to derail the campaign and spread panic.
Rind further said that operations against terrorists would be intensified, vowing to bring the culprits to justice swiftly.
