Policeman killed while protecting polio workers in Pakistan
- On May 26, 2025, a policeman named Abdul Waheed was shot and killed while guarding polio workers in Noshki, Balochistan.
- The female health workers, who were administering polio vaccines, escaped without injury during this violent ambush.
- The attack underscores the escalating violence against health workers in Pakistan and the ongoing challenges the country faces in eradicating polio.
In Noshki, a district in Balochistan province, Pakistan, on May 26, 2025, gunmen shot and killed a policeman assigned to protect polio workers. The policeman, identified as Abdul Waheed, was attacked while the female health workers were administering oral polio vaccine drops to children inside a house. Thankfully, the polio workers managed to escape unharmed during the assault. This violent episode marks yet another grim incident in the ongoing battle against polio in Pakistan. Authorities have not received any immediate claims of responsibility for the attack, but speculation suggests that separatist groups or Pakistani Taliban may be involved. In recent months, attacks against security forces and civilians have surged, raising concerns about the safety of polio vaccination campaigns across the country. The assault occurred just a day after Pakistan had launched a nationwide campaign aimed at vaccinating 45 million children against polio, underlining the considerable risks health workers face in this critical public health effort. Despite ongoing immunization drives, Pakistan has reported ten cases of polio in 2025. Last year, the country experienced a significant increase in polio cases, totaling 74, a stark contrast to just one reported case in 2021. These statistics highlight the challenges Pakistan faces in eradicating polio, as both Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where the transmission of the wild polio virus has not been halted. Since the 1990s, there has been an alarming trend of violence against polio workers in Pakistan, with over 200 individuals, including police officers assigned to protect them, killed in various attacks. The government, represented by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, condemned the assault on Abdul Waheed and pledged to take strict action against those responsible, emphasizing the importance of protecting both health workers and the populations they serve.