KP chief minister condemns Bajaur attack on polio vaccination teams
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has strongly condemned an armed attack on polio vaccination teams in the Bajaur district and has ordered an urgent inquiry report into the incident, as violence against health workers continues to threaten Pakistan's polio eradication campaign.
The attack targeted front-line polio workers during an active vaccination drive, representing one of the most serious threats to Pakistan's public health infrastructure. Bajaur, situated along the Afghan border, has historically been among the most challenging districts for the delivery of immunisation programmes due to militant activity and anti-vaccination sentiment propagated by extremist elements.
The Chief Minister directed security and health authorities to ensure the protection of polio teams and to present a full incident report as a matter of urgency. He affirmed the government's commitment to continuing vaccination campaigns despite the security threat, describing attacks on health workers as an assault on the Pakistani state and its people.
Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus transmission has never been interrupted. Attacks on polio teams have been a persistent obstacle to eradication, and the international health community has repeatedly called on Pakistani authorities to provide robust security escorts during campaigns in high-risk districts.
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