Polio team threatened in Pakistan, case registered

No arrests have been made so far.

Health inspector Rana Faraz filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the Sadiqabad police station, stating that he and his team were conducting a door-to-door polio vaccination drive in Muslim Town when the incident occurred, reported Dawn News.

According to the FIR, the team sought permission before entering a residence to administer polio drops to children. However, once inside, they were allegedly met with hostility. Gul Hassan, Mohammad Gul, and two others reportedly misbehaved with the team, resisted the vaccination effort, and began recording videos of the female staff members.

Faraz further alleged that the individuals used abusive language against the team.

Police Constable Killed in Separate Incident

In a separate attack, a police constable was killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a polio vaccination team in Dera Murad Jamali town in Balochistan, media reports said.

Police officials stated that the team was returning home during a lunch break when assailants on motorcycles targeted the security personnel escorting them, according to Dawn News.

The deceased constable has been identified as Farhan Bashir.

Polio Situation in Pakistan

According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world where polio is still endemic. Along with neighboring Afghanistan, it forms a single epidemiological block, making eradication efforts particularly challenging due to cross-border transmission.