Gunmen kill five polio workers in Pakistan
A rescue worker checks blood-stained forms belonging to Nasima Bibi, a female worker of an anti-polio drive campaign who was shot by gunmen in Karachi. Pakistan is one of only three countries where the highly infectious crippling disease remains endemic, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria.—Reuters Photo
KARACHI: Gunmen shot five health workers on an anti-polio drive in a string of attacks in Pakistan on Tuesday, officials said, raising fears for the safety of workers immunizing children against the crippling disease.
Video: Polio in Pakisan: Rejecting, reforming and reasoning
Four were killed in three different incidents in the port city of Karachi and the fifth in the northwestern city of Peshawar, on the second day of a nationwide three-day drive against the disease, which is endemic in Pakistan.
All of the victims were Pakistanis working with a UN-backed programme to eradicate polio.
Sagheer Ahmed, the health minister for Sindh province said he had ordered a halt to the anti-polio drive in the city in the wake of the shootings.
The first incident occurred in Karachi’s Landhi area where unknown assailants opened fire upon a polio team, killing two female members of the team. Police told DawnNews that there were no eyewitnesses of the incident.
The relatives of the deceased said there was no police accompanying the polio team when the incident occurred.
The second incident occurred in the Raja Tanvir Colony in Karachi’s Orangi Town area where another polio team was attacked by unknown gunmen. The in-charge of the team, Dr Shafiq, said one female worker was killed on spot while a male worker was seriously injured in the firing. He was shifted to a hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his in juries.
A third polio team, sent by provincial health ministry, was attacked in Mochko area’s Mohammad Khan Colony. One female worker was killed and another male worker was injured in the attack.
The team had received telephone calls warning workers they would regret helping the “infidel” campaign against polio, said health official Gul Naz, who oversees project in the area where the women were shot.
In Peshawar, which lies close to the restive tribal areas, a haven for militants and hotspot for polio, two attackers on a motorbike fired on two sisters working on vaccination, killing one, senior police official Javed Khan told AFP.
The incident took place in Mathra suburb of Peshawar which borders Mohmand tribal district, Khan said.
Hayat blamed “militants who issued a fatwa against polio vaccination in the past” for the Karachi killings.
On Monday, police said a gunman killed a volunteer for the World Health Organization’s anti-polio campaign was shot dead on the city outskirts in Gadap Town.
Earlier in July 2012, a local paramedic associated with the polio vaccination was shot dead and a World Health Organisation doctor, Fosten Dido, from Ghana along with his driver were wounded in two separate attacks in the Sohrab Goth area.
WHO, a partner in government efforts to eradicate the disease, suspended vaccination activities in part of Pakistan’s largest city in July after a spate of bloody shootings.
In July, a local paramedic associated with the polio vaccination was shot dead and a World Health Organisation doctor, Fosten Dido, from Ghana along with his driver were wounded in two separate attacks in the Sohrab Goth area.
Pakistan is one of only three countries where the highly infectious crippling disease remains endemic, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria.
*No one is punished except for poor.
Wake up Pakistan
Hope Pakistan comes out of the Stone Age attitude! Live and let live! Live healthily! No religion on earth wants you crippled as in Polio! Who are these fanatics and zealots who condemn us to suffer? Hope the optimistic populace encourage life and thrive!
if people dont want why these agencies and gov and world so much ready to spread vaccines for free. to impotent the nation on the name of stopping polio they maybe spreading it further if someone want to have polio vaccines he she could have by it’s own. Dont implement it as necessary leave it on the choice of the family. then you wont see such attacks
You seem to belong to the same lot which has passed the fatwas and is attacking innocent women in the name of your version of religion
did you go to primary school?
We are going down the tube and fast unless our politicians wake up.
Shocking news….May their soul RIP…
I am waiting for the apologists to describe how this shooting is justified in the name of ‘you know what’.
I dont want to come back to Pakistan…..I feel bad for the people who live there…
we are moving to stone age..
What is wrong with you Pakistan? You are an enigma that defies all logic in behavior that is really perplexing.Who is in control in your country? WHO personal getting shot?There was no protection for them?
We are the only nation in the world who want to destroy our own country and maim the new generation . Imagine killing people who want to eradicate polio ! How mad can we be . If I could leave this country I would have abandoned it a long time ago .
India is polio free! What about pakistan ?
That’s bad news for the Country and the World.
Very Very Tue
First of all my deeply and heartly condolence from the familes of victims may their soul rest in peace…..
heartily
Ameen
Heartfelt?
This is for the sake of our children we must reunite and anybody who knows please point out the culprits because only we can do it , our rangers and police are puppets……..
Even the army has become a standing spectator while Pakistanis die every day. Shame on them all.
Time for Pakistan to wake up. The present regime has been a disaster. Bring back the army rule, if necessary, to give the people a feeling of safety. Innocent people are being killed mercilessly all over everyday.
For your kind information, all these are incidents are fruits from the army rulers in the past…
Too late, in my view.
I agree military is the only solution.
My dear this is the army who tought you the religion to fight Russia. This conservatism grew during the two army regimes. And you want them back, interesting. I am afraid, this is the army doing all this again, unsettling the political forces in Karachi by promoting religious extremism.
I understand the frustration but army rule has not been a good medicine anywhere in the world. What Pakistan need is more social courage: PINPOINT the CULPRITS as mentioned by other firends.
Army (actually some Generals’) rule cannot solve any problems. Generals have ruled openly or covertly for almost whole of Pakistan’s life. You have more problems now compared to mid 1950s when they started dictating to the civilian governments.
But Pakistan Army overall is a great resource,a system-based organisation,and a valuable asset of Pakistan. The present govt /civilian set-up lacks experience and training in governance,and are PRESENTLY dominated by short-sighted incapable,corruptible individuals. But still keep the process going for us to learn to choose.
For now ,the govt should show sincerety,honesty ,dedication;for this problem ,assign army units also ,besides the police force, to fight and eradicate the terrorists ,but under the command of civilian govt.
Does anyone still consider Pakistan to not be a failed state?
Shooting in Connecticut killing 20 children and 6 adults ….. whats your stance on US being a failed state ? Think before you write
It will take a lot more than this. The terrorists cannot break us. The day we bend to the terrorists will be the day we fail.
Not merely a failed state but also a failed society and a failed economy.
Pakistan start polio vaccine and Islam stop it. Make your decision which one is failure
Very true what u said.
I always said that Until America is in the region this insecurity will remain the same, before invasion of America and Nato everything was ok
What does Polio vaccine has to do with America?
Have you forgotten Dr.Afridi case?
The extremists consider the Polio drive as a way to gather information on them by the western backed forces due to the whole SHakil afridi incident in Abbottabad where he was using the Polio drive to get DNA samples backed by the CIA. ALso, the fanatics have made life miserable on th eother hand by preaching that the west is providing these polio drops to Muslims so they become infertile and cannot reproduce:)….so as you can see, there is a problem on either side…however, killing people because of this is barbaric and terrorism of the extreme form…..no use blaming the govt. for anything…you only blame those who have the ability or intellect to do something but don’t….this crop of rulers we have now are not only incompotent but illiterate, medivial and corrupt to the core….please don’t waste time expecting anything from them!
cannot bliv some ppl actally disliked the above comment of tanwir syed. really what does polio vaccine anything to do with america? its pakistan’s future thts in jeopardy if kids are not vaccinated!
this is so daft.what america is to do with antipolio campaign?pakistanis are the nation who believe in conspiracy theories.talk some rationale please.
Agreed. If US didn’t use the fake vaccination clinic to get to Osama, we wouldn’t have these innocent workers killed today.
I agree. There has been a dramatic rise in fatwas and attacks against vaccination campaigns since then.
Mariam Jan, in my opinion, even after US and other forces leave the region, these Talibans would continue to attack innocent people of Pakistan in the name of religion and their “religious values” as they want to impose their brand of religion in Pakistan.
What is this obsession against America.First you do wrong things in your country and than you curse America for everything.what kind of people we have become.
Can’t belive someone can think even like this. Really sad…
I respectfully disagree. Insecurity does not give a person right to kill another. This is the result of no-stop corruption for years and years.
Taking someone’s life is the worst crime and we cant even punish killers, this is shameful.
Very true.
Stop blaming America for your own failure. Educate yourself, why cannot you understand its children health. You want sick children who will suffer along with their parents and love ones?
When was everything ok in Pakistan?
you are always wrong.
I see no choice but to stop the polio vaccination drive. Sad!
Is vaccination anti-islamic?
Apparently, it is.
Dont drag islam into this. The militants look for soft targets for maximum impact. They have to justify the attack so give such lame excuses as the volunteers being agents of infidels etc etc.
We are beating around the bush, it is not polio or USA or Taliban and or any other excuse. Pakistan is in the clutches of its own enemy the RULERS, in one way or other. They are also ignorant if the country does not survive they will also not continue to rule? God bless all of us.
I hope the Government and all concerned realize how hopeless the situation is! When do you want to see a change? Does anyone have a vision for safety of common people?
Fight Polio is a life saving boon for childrens and upcomming generations.
Inhuman acts by terrorists. Extremely Sorry for the volunteers.
this shows the height of militancy and religious fanaticism in pakistan.I believe that WHO is left with no option but to put travel ban on Pakistanis as all pakistanis are potential carriers of Polio,and hence a danger to the rest of the Polio free world.