Sardar Muhammad Khondai, Asmat Hanafi:
A policeman was martyred when armed accused opened fire at a polio team in Balochistan’s Pishin district on Monday morning. Police sources said police head constable Muhammad Hashim was guarding the polio team when martyred in the attack.
Deputy Commissioner Pishin, Dr. Yasir Bazai confirmed the incident and said the polio team was attacked in the Killi Tarata area of the district. Mr. Bazai said the policeman was guarding the polio team when martyred in the attack.
Also Read: Anti-polio campaign postponed in Balochistan because of floods
CM Bizenjo condemns the attack
Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Quddus Bizenjo has strongly condemned the attack on the polio team. In a statement issued after the incident, the CM directed the police to arrest the culprits involved in the incident.
The dead body of the victim was rushed to the district headquarters hospital in Pishin. A huge contingent of police and levies reached the spot of the incident as an investigation into the incident went underway.
Also Read: Anti-polio campaign in 15 districts of Balochistan from today
The attackers were riding on a motorcycle
Police said the assailants were riding a motorcycle. The assailants escaped unhurt from the spot. Security was tightened in and outside Pishin during the anti-polio campaign.
Balochistan government has launched a five-day anti-polio campaign throughout the province to provide anti-polio drops to children under the age of five years. The campaign was launched across Balochistan on October 24th. Syed Zahid Shah, the Chief of the Emergency Operation Cell (EOC) warned about the looming threat of the polio virus in Balochistan. “The crippling virus exists in Balochistan”, Mr. Shah told reporters the other day.
Although, Balochistan has not reported any polio case for the last 21 months.
The provincial government has directed law enforcement agencies to tighten security across Balochistan during the ongoing anti-polio campaign in the province. Levies, police, and frontier corps personnel are guarding the polio teams throughout Balochistan.
