In Khyber district's Jamrud tehsil, a police constable, Abdul Khaliq, was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle assailants in the Ghandi area, sources reported. Abdul Khaliq was reportedly on his way to perform polio duty when he was targeted by the attackers.
This incident coincides with the launch of a five-day anti-polio campaign across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which began today and is scheduled to continue until February 7. The campaign aims to administer polio vaccines to 6.5 million children aged five and under. To facilitate the effort, 40,000 polio teams have been deployed, and 50,000 security personnel have been assigned to ensure their protection.
Meanwhile, in Lakki Marwat, the Marwat Tribal Jirga has boycotted the polio campaign, demanding the recovery of abducted employees from the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission's Qabul Khel Project. The jirga has vowed that no children in the district will be vaccinated until the kidnapped workers are freed.
The killing of Abdul Khaliq highlights the persistent security challenges faced by polio workers and their protectors in the region, where militant threats and local grievances continue to hinder vaccination efforts.
