Police here on Wednesday claimed that they have arrested nine more suspects allegedly involved in ransacking building of Basic Health Unit and spreading of rumours about polio drops reaction in Mashokel area of Peshawar. The police officials said that the school principal's brother was among the nine arrested for damaging the property of the medical complex.
The nine suspects were arrested after being identified in videos and two pistols and as many Kalashnikovs were seized from their possession, the Peshawar SP said. "A total 10 suspects have been arrested so far of which five have been nominated in the First Information Report (FIR). A case was registered against 12 people in total," he added.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday launched a three-day anti-polio campaign, in which thousands of polio workers were tasked to visit schools and madrassas to administer the oral anti-polio vaccine to children under five years of age. The residents of Peshawar had rushed their children to hospital after rumours about polio drops reaction were spread in Mashokel area of Peshawar.
According to PM focal person on polio, Babar Bin Atta, the police arrested nine people, nominated in FIR, during raids last night. He said that the remaining nominated suspects were on the run, who would be arrested soon.
The detained suspects include Waqas, Subhanullah, Adil, Yasir, Sifatullah, Irfan, Fazal Wadood, Laiq Shah. The Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital and the Hayatabad Medical Complex were soon flooded with anxious parents bringing in their children. Despite assurances from the authorities that the anti-polio vaccine was completely safe, enraged residents broke down the main gate and set fire at the Mashokhel Hospital in Peshawar.