Pakistan anti-polio campaign starts as escort policeman killed

On the day of the launch of the first national polio drive in 2025, a police officer on polio duty was killed in Jamrud town, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) district. Constable Abdul Khalid was on his way to protect the polio team when he was targeted and shot dead by unidentified assailants on a motorcycle. Investigations are underway to identify the perpetrators. The militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack. Despite the incident, the polio immunisation programme continues in the area. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the first nationwide polio campaign of the year, which will run from 3 to 9 February. The campaign will involve administering polio eye drops to children under five, with the ultimate goal of eradicating the disease from the country. Last year, Pakistan reported 77 cases of polio, with the virus detected in at least 90 districts. The first case of the year was reported in Dera Ismail Khan district of KP. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic, due partly to challenges such as unsafe environments. Immunisation workers who go door-to-door to vaccinate children are often targeted by militants, particularly in the provinces of KP and Balochistan. In 2024 alone, 20 people were killed and 53 injured during polio campaigns in the province.