Violence and Tragedy Plague Pakistan's Anti-Polio Campaign

A policeman guarding polio workers was killed by gunmen in Pakistan, marking the second attack against the anti-polio campaign in two days. A female polio worker was raped in a separate incident. Ongoing violence against polio workers hampers Pakistan's efforts to eliminate the disease, with militants falsely believing the campaign is a Western conspiracy.

A pair of gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on Thursday, killing a policeman who was guarding a group of polio workers conducting a door-to-door vaccination campaign in northwestern Pakistan, police reported. This is the second attack on the country's anti-polio efforts in as many days.

In a separate, horrifying incident, a female polio worker was allegedly raped by two men in southern Pakistan, according to officials. These escalating attacks threaten the safety of those fighting to eradicate the debilitating disease.

The latest fatal shooting occurred in Bannu, located in the volatile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, revealed police officer Nasrullah Khan. The officer was stationed at a street corner when the attackers shot him and fled the scene. In a similar attack on Wednesday in Bajur, also part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, gunmen on motorcycles killed a polio worker and a police escort.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, increasing fear among polio workers. Authorities initiated a new nationwide polio vaccination campaign on Monday with heightened security measures to protect the workers.

Additionally, a roadside bomb exploded near a vehicle carrying officers assigned to secure polio workers in South Waziristan on Monday, wounding six officers and three civilians. The militant Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for the attack.

In another disturbing episode, two men allegedly raped a female polio worker in Jacobabad district, Sindh province, after luring her into a house under the pretext of vaccinating children, said government official Zahur Marri on Thursday. Marri added that police were conducting raids to capture the accused.

Such violence is not uncommon in Pakistan's anti-polio campaigns, where teams often face threats from militants who wrongly believe the vaccinations are part of a Western plot to sterilize children. Pakistan has reported 17 new cases of polio this year, threatening decades of efforts to eliminate the disease within its borders.

The paralysing disease mainly affects children under age 5 and spreads through contaminated water. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the last two countries where polio transmission has never been halted.

(With inputs from agencies.)