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KARACHI: Unknown gunmen on Monday shot a policeman assigned to provide security to a polio vaccination team in Karachi's Orangi Town area.
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Tabassum Ali was shot by motorcycle-riding gunmen while polio workers were administering the vaccine to a child inside a house in Banaras Colony in Orangi Town No 4.
The attackers manged to flee from the scene.
ASI Ali was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where his condition was reported as critical.
A huge contingent of police and Rangers personnel arrived at the site of the attack and launched a probe into the incident.
Polio immunisation activities were suspended in various areas of the city following the attack.
Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world where polio remains endemic, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria. Efforts to eradicate it have been seriously hampered by the deadly targeting of vaccination teams in recent years.
Militant groups see vaccination campaigns as a cover for espionage and there are also long running rumours about polio drops causing infertility.
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On DawnNews
Comments (21) Closed
Jan 19, 2015 01:13pm
This is complete lawlessness!! These murderers have strong support and know that they will not be caught or convicted due to political influence. Has any Sindh Govt official come out and given an action plan for immunisation to continue? Will these culprits ever be caught?
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Jan 19, 2015 01:42pm
Impose curfeww and have polio shots administered. Anyone who is reluctant should immediately leave the province and go back to Southern Punjab or KPK.
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Jan 19, 2015 01:44pm
No one will care ! Had it been an army officer sirens would have ran all over the provincial and the federal government. I am not blaming it on the army; army demands the respect and it gets it. Sadly our provincial government never gives value to our Police especially Sindh Police who go out of their way to protect these so called legislators of our province. I hope the news channels could give more details about the policeman like his family and number of dependents.
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Jan 19, 2015 02:02pm
Sorry for the future generations of Pakistan.
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Jan 19, 2015 02:13pm
only one police man depute with polio team in criminal area!!!
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Jan 19, 2015 02:41pm
why the poor police man is killed , who killed him and why , the govt is doing operation in Karachi what is the result pl show it to the public. it is strange they check so many cars and motorcycles but nothing comes out of all checking . how many criminals have been caught what is this . show some improvments . the law enforcement is worthlessly useless
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Jan 19, 2015 02:48pm
With QAS as CM, the entire province is in a "drunken state."
He never takes responsibility for any thing, and hence no shame for his lack of actions!
Because of his inaction so many innocent people have lost their lives!
He has jeopardize the law and order situation; its a matter of national interest!
Supreme Court should take suo moto action to remove him from office, or the other option would be the military court!
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Jan 19, 2015 02:53pm
Intolerable yet uncontrollable. Sad......
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Jan 19, 2015 02:58pm
I dont understand, Why Govt , law personnel are afraid to criticize these terrorists group. In activeness to finish these group is another point, but they cant even use abusive words (in civilized manner of course ) for them.
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Jan 19, 2015 04:07pm
Has any of the single murderers been apprehended so far? If yes than what about the investigation to trace down this ferocious chain? Who is equipping, dictating and facilitating them?
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Jan 19, 2015 04:08pm
19 Policemen killed so far in the last 2 weeks in Karachi and still we see countless ads of SIndh Government running ad-nauseam eulogizing and praising itself
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Jan 19, 2015 04:20pm
salute to you dear friend for this great cause why these people are unable to understand the reality. These people are working to save our future generations from Polio. Please get some information from others before taking such actions against our police, army or local people escorting Vaccinating people.
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Jan 19, 2015 04:27pm
First of all my heartly solidarity to the Policemen, polio-Team and their families. These unknown Heros of Pakistan are paying a very high price for our coming Generation.
Why we are unable to stop these inhuman criminals?
Many policemen and health workers have lost their lives. Why our law and order System is unable to identify the dark Forces behind the Killers?
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Jan 19, 2015 04:30pm
CCTV would be able to track men on motorbikes, especially via the license plates. CCTV is needed in these areas. Track the motorbike, you can track the cuplrit.
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Jan 19, 2015 04:35pm
What is the wisdom behind one ..just one police man assigned to escort the polio team ? The probable reason can be that there is shortage of police men who can be spared for such duty. This shortage is not going to end in future too because large contingents of police force are always found busy protecting the VVIPs ..... even their kids.
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Jan 19, 2015 05:20pm
Anti-polio drive began in Pakistan in 1994 under the auspices of UNICEF, WHO and Health Department. What they were doing all these years whereas attacks have started recently from June 2012 when Dr. Shakil Afridi under the guise of polio campaign helped US spy agencies to get to Abottabad compound. Since then, militants believed that the polio campaign is nothing but a cover for espionage on them. These are issues which needs a clear vision to be solved. However, in the absence of visionary leadership that goal seems to be never achieving.
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Jan 19, 2015 05:59pm
What is going on in the country? Dropping to abysmal levels...who will save the country?
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Jan 19, 2015 06:11pm
Every week there are reports of Polio teams being attacked and the number of Polio cases going up. While the readers express their helplessness in their comments, I have not read a single news item that any political or religious leader of Pakistan has condemned such attacks.
It will take mass action from the society itself to bring the results.
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Jan 19, 2015 07:34pm
very depressed at state of affairs of the land of my ancestors, We made it to India alive in 1947.
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Jan 19, 2015 10:31pm
Ppp, jiay bhutto bla bla. Lawful and uber progressed sindh. Yup
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Jan 20, 2015 02:50am
@Imran
Too bad that you didn't know that Dr Afridi was running a Hepatitus Vaccination program in Abbottabad, not a polio Vaccination program!
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