Six people were arrested on Friday after a polio vaccination team and policemen accompanying them were allegedly “attacked” by residents in an informal settlement in Karachi’s Korangi.
Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic, with the disease mostly affecting children under five, and sometimes causing lifelong paralysis. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.
Amid persistent alarm over polio, the Sindh government launched a week-long immunisation drive on Monday against the debilitating disease that has so far affected 18 children in Sindh. This year’s last polio vaccination drive targeted 10.6 million children under the age of five. A total of 64 children in Pakistan have contracted the poliovirus this year.
A statement from the Korangi senior superintendent of police’s (SSP) spokesperson said polio personnel and their security staff arrived at the door of a tribal family in an informal settlement and were subsequently “attacked” by the women present there.
It added that the Korangi deputy superintendent of police (DSP) arrived at the spot along with other female police officers and Rangers, upon which the family “reacted strongly and started pelting stones at the police”.
The statement said the police immediately took control of the situation and arrested four women and two boys, adding that a case was being registered against the suspects on the government’s instructions.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and said any abuse of polio workers would not be tolerated.
The chief minister was informed by Karachi Additional Inspector General of Police Javed Odho that action had been taken against the suspects.
CM Shah ordered all deputy commissioners (DC) to review the security of polio workers and directed the Korangi DC to meet and console the affected team.
Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Asif Hyder Shah directed the provision of immediate medical treatment to the impacted personnel and said the safety of polio workers was a top priority and should be ensured.
