LHW on polio duty attacked with dagger

SWABI: A Lady Health Worker (LHW) performing polio duty was attacked and seriously injured on Tuesday during the ongoing vaccination campaign in Yar Hussain town in Razaar tehsil on Tuesday, the local police said.

The incident occurred in the jurisdiction of Yar Hussain Police Station.

A police constable was escorting LHWs Samia Begum and Rani Bibi during the vaccination campaign when the incident happened. It was learnt that Rani Bibi entered the house of one Mohammad Ijaz Khan to vaccinate his children while her colleague Samia Begum was marking the door.

Upon entering the house, Rani Bibi was attacked with a dagger. She started crying which prompted the policeman, who was standing outside to force his entry into the house.

The cop overpowered the assailant and seized the dagger.

The injured LHW was taken to a hospital in Yar Hussain for treatment.

When contacted, health officials in Swabi said that she was hit on the head but her condition was stable. The first information report was registered against Mohammad Ijaz Khan under section 186, 354 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

When contacted, District Health Officer Dr Mohammad Niaz said the anti-polio campaign was taking place in Swabi as per its schedule.

Rani Bibi is the latest to suffer an attack during the anti-polio vaccination campaign. A number of female workers and policemen have lost their lives or suffered injuries while vaccinating the children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and also the erstwhile Fata.