Policeman martyred in attack on polio team in Hangu

HANGU: A policeman deployed to protect an anti-polio team was martyred and four others were injured when unidentified assailants opened fire on them in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu on Monday.

According to SDPO Mujahid Hussain, the attack targeted a police van carrying five personnel assigned to provide security to a polio vaccination team in the Chapri Waziran area. All officers sustained bullet injuries, while one later succumbed to his wounds.

The injured personnel were shifted to a nearby medical facility for treatment.

The incident comes on the opening day of the countrywide campaign launched by the Pakistan Polio Programme as part of its second National Immunisation Days (NIDs) drive of 2026.

The five-day campaign aims to vaccinate over 45 million children under the age of five, marking a critical phase in Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate poliovirus transmission.

Last month, the National Emergency Operations Centre confirmed the first wild polio case of 2026 in a four-year-old child from Sujawal district, Sindh. The case was verified by the Regional Reference Laboratory at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad.

Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio is still endemic, with militant groups having repeatedly targeted vaccination teams and their security escorts over the years.

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Despite these challenges, Pakistan has made significant progress, reducing polio cases by 99.8% since the 1990s due to sustained immunisation efforts. However, the virus continues to circulate in high-risk areas, particularly in parts of Sindh and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Health authorities stress that polio, a highly infectious disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, is preventable through timely vaccination. Officials have urged parents to ensure their children receive all recommended doses during every campaign.

The Polio Eradication Initiative continues to intensify efforts, calling on communities, religious leaders and the media to support vaccination drives and help achieve a polio-free Pakistan.