Six people were arrested and booked 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.
The Korangi police registered a case against the suspects on the state’s behalf under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (armed rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly),186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 337-A (i) (shajjah-i-khafifah) meaning hurt by any weapon on head or face without exposing bone of the victim, 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of their duty) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 337 (i) A of Pakistan Penal Code.
The complainant, Head Constable Munib Qaiser, said that when the polio team arrived at a home in Korangi-2, Sector-20, the family misbehaved with them.
As the polio workers insisted that administering polio drops to children was “imperative”, the women became furious and attacked the polio team. In the meantime, two men from the home came outside who were “armed” and started beating the polio workers.
The complainant said he and other policemen tried to prevent them but the suspects also attacked them and their uniforms were torn apart. He added that in the meantime, four to five other people who appeared to be “Pakthuns” also arrived there and attacked the personnel.
The complainant said the police managed to detain four women and two men after significant difficulty while others managed to escape.
Korangi SSP Kamran Khan said two shovels were seized from the detained suspects.
