KARACHI, July 21: The Sindh Doctors Ittehad has condemned the killing of a doctor associated with the anti-polio drive in Gadap Town and slammed the government for it.

At a meeting held on Saturday, representatives of the doctors’ body said that doctors and other health workers were taking part in the anti-polio campaign as their national duty, but the government failed to provide them any protection despite the fact that there had been serious threats.

Dr Mohammad Ali Thalho, Dr Abdul Waheed Shaikh, Dr Naveed Baloch, Dr Nadeem Korai and others expressed their concern over the situation in union council No 4 of Gadap Town where Dr Ishaq, 45, who worked for the World Health Organization in polio eradication activities as well, was killed in his clinic in Junejo Town. They urged the government to ensure protection to the doctors in general and the polio workers in particular and take notice of the threats being given to polio workers repeatedly by unknown elements.

On July 17, Dr Foston Dido, a foreign doctor working for the WHO and associated with immunization work, was shot at and wounded in the same area.

Meanwhile, the WHO and Unicef also expressed their grief over the killing of Dr Ishaq.

“Polio immunization activities were suspended in this area of Karachi earlier this week after a shooting incident injuring two WHO staff members, who were supporting the implementation and monitoring of a vaccination campaign,” said a communication. “Until activities were suspended, Mr Ishaq had worked with the national polio eradication effort as a union council polio worker for several months, helping to plan and implement vaccination campaigns to protect the most underserved and vulnerable children against this debilitating disease.”

“Because of the dedication of heroes like Mr Ishaq, Pakistan is this year closer than ever to the eradication of polio. He was known for his dedication and diligence to immunize all children against polio”, the communication said, adding that the WHO, Unicef and all of the polio partners in Pakistan and globally expressed their deepest sympathy to his family for this tragic loss.