Summary WHO and UNICEF have suspended polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan due to security concerns.
ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organization and UNICEF have directed their field staff to stop their work in Pakistan till further orders after two more people were killed and two others were injured when teams involved in the nationwide polio vaccination drive were attacked in Peshawar, Nowshera and Charsadda in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday.
In the wake of the latest attacks on anti-polio workers, WHO directed its field staff to halt work in Pakistan. The field staff should stop its work until further instructions, the WHO said. THE WHO said that until volunteers are provided security the campaign cannot continue
.
Similar instructions were issued by the UNICEF as well.
On Wednesday a polio campaign supervisor and a driver associated with the programme were killed during the attack on the team in Charsadda.
Senior government official Syed Zafar Ali Shah said gunmen targeted two other polio teams in Charsadda, but no one was wounded in those attacks.
Earlier, reports had stated that a bystander was injured when unknown gunmen fired at a polio team in Charsadda.
After preliminary news of the first attack, EDO Charsadda had stated that the anti-polio drive would continue in the region, adding that, “such attacks” could not shake the resolve of the government.
Moreover, one volunteer was injured during the attack on a polio team in Peshawar. The injured worker was shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital for treatment.
The attack took place in Peshawar’s Khazana area when unknown assailants fired at the team.
Separately, gunmen attacked a polio team working in Nowshera. However, no casualties were reported from that attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Wednesday’s killings.
Meanwhile at least 80 suspected people have been arrested in Karachi following the Tuesday’s killing of four anti-polio drive workers in Karachi.
Police found out during investigations that a single group is involved in the assassinations. Beginning the search for the culprits, over 60 suspected were taken into custody during raids in different areas.
Raids were also conducted in Orangi Town and 25 people were arrested. Meantime, a case regarding one killing has been lodged in Quaidabad Police Station.
On the other hand protest demonstrations were held in Karachi, Hyderabad and Peshawar against the arracks. The protestors, which included Lady Health workers, protested against the government for inefficient security measures and demanded adequate security for the polio workers as well as arrest of the culprits involved in these incidents.
All Parties polio conference also adopted a condemnation resolution against these attacks.
