PESHAWAR: In a tragic escalation of violence against health workers, a Levies constable protecting polio vaccination team was shot and killed in the Matta area of Swat on Tuesday.
According to police officials, Levies constable Abdul Kabir embraced martyrdom while on duty protecting the polio vaccination team.
Soon after the incident, the area was cordoned off by police and launched a search operation to arrest the culprits.
The fatal shooting comes amid Pakistan’s ongoing nationwide anti-polio campaign, which is currently in its second day.
According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), over 12.7 million children across the country were administered polio drops on the campaign’s first day alone.
Provincial breakdowns provided by the EOC showed that 7.325 million children were vaccinated in Punjab, 2.567 million in Sindh, 1.768 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 667,000 in Balochistan, 108,000 in Islamabad, 93,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 246,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
This latest incident in Swat follows a similarly grim attack just five days earlier.
Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, paying tribute to the martyred officer and expressing deep sympathy with his family.
He said Abdul Kabir achieved the highest honor while performing his duty, adding that those who attack teams working for children’s future deserve no leniency.
Pakistan remains one of the few countries where polio has not been fully eradicated. Health workers and security personnel often face threats while conducting vaccination drives, especially in remote areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In several past incidents, polio vaccination teams have been targeted by militants who spread misinformation about the vaccine. Despite these challenges, the government continues nationwide campaigns to eliminate the virus and protect children’s health.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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