KARACHI – Police have arrested four individuals accused of assaulting members of a polio vaccination team during an ongoing immunization drive in Karachi’s Federal B Area, Block 14. The incident sparked outrage among health officials, who have long faced threats and violence while carrying out life-saving vaccination campaigns.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Central Zeeshan Siddique, a case has been registered against the suspects at Joharabad Police Station. He confirmed that swift action was taken after reports emerged of the team being harassed and physically attacked while administering polio drops to children.
The assault comes amid heightened security concerns for health workers across the country. Earlier on October 10, 2025, a 30-year-old polio worker, identified as Rehmanullah, was gunned down in a targeted attack near Jamia-tu-Rasheed on the Super Highway while traveling to Surjani Town. He was rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital but succumbed to his injuries. The victim was a resident of Quetta Town near Madras Chowk.
Just days later, on October 15, militants killed a police officer assigned to guard a polio vaccination team in Nowshera District. Local police official Bilal Khan told AFP that two armed attackers opened fire on the officer, killing him instantly. Fortunately, the vaccination team remained unharmed. The attack was later claimed by Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, a splinter group linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Violence against polio teams is not new in Pakistan. A day before the Nowshera incident, unidentified gunmen killed a Levies constable guarding another polio team in Swat District. The constable was shot while standing outside a house as health workers vaccinated children inside.
Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio is still endemic. Despite decades of vaccination efforts, misinformation and militant opposition have severely hampered eradication campaigns. Over the past decade, hundreds of health workers and police officers have been targeted for participating in these drives.
The country reported a concerning rise in polio cases last year 74 infections compared to just six in 2023. In 2025 so far, 29 cases have been confirmed, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province accounting for 18, the highest nationwide.
Polio, a contagious viral disease that primarily affects children under five, can cause permanent paralysis but is entirely preventable through vaccination. However, in rural parts of Pakistan, myths persist including the false belief that the vaccine is part of a foreign conspiracy to sterilize Muslims.
The recent attacks also follow the government’s introduction of an HPV vaccination program aimed at protecting young girls from cervical cancer another initiative that has faced resistance fueled by misinformation.
Authorities have vowed to enhance protection for vaccination teams and bring those responsible for the attacks to justice. Despite ongoing challenges, health officials remain determined to rid Pakistan of polio once and for all.
