Jamrud polio worker receives death threats

KHYBER: Suspected terrorists have issued death threats to a polio worker in Jamrud tehsil here, asking him to stop what they declared improper activity.

Operational officer for the Polio Initiative Programme in the Ghundi union council Mirzali Khan told Dawn that after he left home in Gudar area at around 9pm on Dec 7 for the Jamrud civil hospital, two masked men on a motorcycle intercepted him.

He added that one of those men, carrying a pistol, threatened to shoot him in the head if he continued to administer polio drops to children.

The polio worker said that the two men later fled into nearby mountains.

He said that he reported the incident to the Jamrud police and his personal supervisor.

Mirzali said though he had been threatened for the first time, residents of Gudar and adjoining areas had reported frequent movement of suspected terrorists after sunset.

He demanded police security for him and his family, saying he feels so insecure that he has stopped stepping out.

Local health officials involved in the Polio Initiative Programme confirmed the incident and said that they were in contact with the police to seek better security for vaccinators and other polio team members.

They said that Jamrud was recently a troubled spot for polio workers as nearly a dozen health workers and police personnel escorting polio vaccination teams lost lives in line of their duties due to terrorist attacks in recent years.

When contacted, the local police confirmed Mirzali Khan’s complaint and said that the counter-terrorism department had formally been requested to act against culprits and ensure security of polio workers in the region.

They said that they provided foolproof security to all polio workers during polio campaigns in the district by deploying additional personnel in areas where children were vaccinated.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2024