Anti-polio drive halted after attack on cop

Karachi
A police officer escorting polio vaccinators was seriously injured in a gun attack in Orangi Town No 4 on Monday, suspending the government’s immunisation drive in 12 union councils of SITE, Jamshed Town and Malir.
Two men riding a motorcycle fired gunshots at assistant sub-inspector Tabassum Ali, 35, who was deployed for the security of polio vaccinators engaged in an immunisation campaign in the area.
Peerabad SHO Sagheer Hussain Mugheri said the ASI, who was a member of the anti-encroachment police force, had suffered a bullet wound to the head. He was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and then to the Aga Khan Hospital. By the time this report was filed, the policeman’s life was still in danger.
Campaign suspended
Following the attack, the vaccination drive in two union councils of SITE Town, eight of Jamshed Town and two of Malir was suspended as vaccinators refused to continue working in view of the risk to their lives.
However, the campaign carried on in the West and East districts.
Expanded Program on Immunisation Sindh Deputy Manager Dr Durre Naz Jamal told The News that the vaccination campaign commenced in 69 union councils of East, West and Malir districts on Monday morning to vaccinate 0.9 million children.
“The campaign was temporarily stopped in 12 union councils after the gun attack,” she added. “The vaccinators were too afraid to stay there after the incident.”
Jamal said police had assured the vaccinators that the attack was not aimed at harming them and cops were being targeted in the city for the last few days.
“Besides, there was inadequate security in some areas and police officials had also hinted at threats to vaccinators there so that also contributed to the campaign stopping in the 12 union councils,” she said “The campaign will resume there when adequate security measures are taken.”
Pillion riding banned
The home department imposed a three-day ban on pillion riding from 12am on Monday night to 12am on Thursday night in Karachi to ensure the safety of polio vaccinators and bring the law and order situation in the city under control.
Additional IGP Karachi Ghulam Qadir Thebo had recommended to the government to impose the ban.
In its notification, the home department said women, children under 12, the elderly and journalists would be exempted from the ban.
IGP visits crime scene
IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali visited the crime scene where the ASI was attacked and sought details of the incident from the officials of the West district police.
The provincial police chief directed the SSPs, SPs and SHOs of the area to ensure that polio vaccinators were provided with foolproof security. He told them to ensure that the female vaccinators were escorted by female commandos during the drive.
He also ordered them to track down the people responsible for the recent attacks on cops.

Altaf condemns attack
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief has condemned the firing on a policeman escorting polio vaccinators in Orangi Town.
In a statement issued by the party’s London secretariat on Monday, Altaf Hussain said there were instances in the past too when polio vaccinators were attacked by terrorists, but the culprits were never caught.
The MQM chief said the Sindh government had failed to provide security to the masses and the gun attack in Orangi that left the policeman seriously injured was evidence of that.
“Terrorists are conspiring to leave our future generations physically disabled by attacking polio vaccinators, and the government seems to be facilitating them by not taking action against them,” he said.