September 28th, 2020
By Hidayat Ullah
CHAMAN
In yet another incident of attack on polio workers, two unidentified armed motorcyclists opened fire on a team of polio workers in Kali Thekdar, on the outskirts of Chaman, a border town between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
A levies’ personnel was injured as a result of the attack and was shifted to a hospital in Quetta after receiving first aid. A team of female polio workers was also present on the scene of the attack but luckily escaped the attack as they were inside a house at the time the incident occurred.
“Two miscreants on a motorcycle spotted the ream and opened fire indiscriminately,” says Zakaullah Durrani, assistant commissioner Chaman. “Sadiq, an on-duty levies personnel were injured as a result of the attack. As soon as the call went out responders from the civil administration rushed to the scene, but the militants managed to escape.”
The assailants stole the weapon and mobile phone of the injured official in an attempt to paint the incident as a robbery. According to the WHO representative, it was the last day of the polio campaign and the team was in the area to vaccinate the children who had missed out during earlier drives.
“I would like to thank the security personnel present on the scene. In the absence of the personnel the militants could have easily targeted the team,” says Dr. Shamsullah Kakar, area coordinator World Health Organization (WHO)
In a similar incident in April last year a polio worker Nasreen Bibi, was killed by unidentified gunmen during a vaccination drive.
Her husband, Maqsood Anwar, told Voicepk.net that government officials have not fulfilled the promises made to them.
“After her martyrdom, the local administration promised my family financial aid. They also offered to give me a job. But none of these promises have been fulfilled,” says Maqsood.
Owing to its location on the Pak-Afghan border, Qila Abdullah, Chaman district is a very sensitive area. For this reason, strict security has been provided to polio teams active in the area
A team comprising civilian and military personnel has been given the responsibility to investigate the attack, while in light of the recent attack security personnel have decided to review the security of the area.
