KARACHI/SUKKUR: The deputy commissioner, district health officer and senior superintendent of police of Jacobabad were on Monday removed from their positions in the wake of the security lapse leading to the harassment of and sexual assault on a lady health worker, engaged in an anti-polio campaign, last week.

The victim, Ms A, mother of three, told the police that she along with a colleague, was administering anti-polio drops to under-five children in Allah Bakhsh Jakhrani village when three suspects subjected her to harassment.

A couple of days later, she recorded her statement in a court of law and narrated details of her ordeal. She said there were four men involved in the whole episode. She said one of them subjected her to sexual assault with the physical assistance of his three associates.

She named the alleged rapist but could not identify the other suspects, saying that they had kept their faced covered. One of them kept filming the whole episode, she stated.

The incident triggered a wave of protests in Jacobabad and some other districts of Sindh. An unending uproar littered social media platforms where activists strongly condemned the incident and demanded action against the culprits as well as the officials responsible for the security lapse.

After a week of the growing unrest, the Sindh government took action against the Jacobabad DC, DHO and SSP on Monday.

A statement issued by the provincial government said: “The Sindh government has taken strict action following the reported negligence in the security and arrangements for polio workers in Jacobabad. As a result, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jacobabad, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jacobabad, and the District Health Officer (DHO) Jacobabad have been removed from their positions”.

According to a notification to this effect, the SSP Jacobabad has been directed to report to the Central Police Office (CPO), while the Deputy Commissioner Jacobabad has been instructed to report to the Services, General Administration and Coordination Department.

It said that the DHO has also been relieved of his duties due to the lapse in ensuring the safety of polio workers.

“The government remains committed to ensuring the safety of polio workers and will not tolerate any lapses in this regard,” it added.

According to a related notification, Dr Sumair Noor Channa, an officer of Police Service of Pakistan (BS-18), Senior Superinten­dent of Police, District Jacobabad, is transferred and directed to report to CPO Sindh, Karachi, with immediate effect and until further orders. Mr Bashir Ahmed Brohi, an officer of Police Service of Pakistan (BS-19), Superinten­dent of Police, District Kashmore, shall look after the work of Senior Superintendent of Police, District Jacobabad in addition to his own duties with immediate effect and until further orders.

Yet another notification said: “Mr Zahoor Ali, an officer of PAS (BS-18), Collector/Deputy Commissioner, Jacobabad, is transferred with immediate effect and directed to report to Services, General Administra­tion & Coordination Depart­ment.

Victim faints in court

Meanwhile, the traumatised assault victim, ‘Ms A’, fainted while recording her statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedue Code (CrPC) in the court of the Second Additional Sessions/Judicial Magistrate, Jacobabad, Nisar Ahmed Shar, on Monday.

She suddenly fainted while recording the statement, making the judge to stop and adjourn the proceedings to Sept 23, according to court officials.

Protest rally

A number of lady health workers (LHWs) engaged in the anti-polio campaign participated in a rally organised in Jacobabad city by a group calling itself the “Sindh Dost Committee” on Monday to condemn the Allah Bakhsh Jakhrani village incident.

The participants started their march from the city’s

Shaheed Allah Bakhsh Soomro Park and reached the local press club after passing through various roads, raising slogans for justice for the victim and action against the culprits and all those responsible for the incident.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands. After reaching the press club, the participants held a sit-in outside, where leaders of various political parties, nationalist groups and civil society organistions addressed them.

They included Sindh Dost Committee President Intizar Hussain Chhalgari, Councillor Khalid Khan Jhalan, Mohammad Alam Khoso, Anjuman Tajiran-i-Jacobabad President Mir Ahmad Ali Brohi, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Mir Rehmatullah Khoso, Shehri Itihad President Mohammad Yasir Abro, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Jacobabad District President Dr A.G. Ansari, PPP-Shaheed Bhutto activist Nadeem Qureshi, STP District President Abdul Sattar Jagirani, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Haji Gul Hasan Soomro, Abdul Hai Soomro and LHWs leader Najma Khoso.

They said that it was a shameful act against a worker who was rendering her services to save children from polio, a disease that cripples the patient for life.

The incident was a slap on the face of the district administration which was supposed to ensure safety and security of polio workers and all other citizens, they said.

One of the speakers said it was more painful that a woman was disgraced this way in Sindh, where women of even enemies were given due respect.

LHWs leader Najma Khoso said that eradication of polio is a national cause and subjecting anyone engaged in the campaign to harassment or assault tantamount to enmity with the nation. She recalled that a similar incident had happened in the past and unfortunately the culprit was from the same community the fresh incident’s suspect belonged to.

The leaders demanded foolproof security to each and every polio worker across the province.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2024