PESHAWAR  -  In an unfortunate incident, a police official was gunned down in district Karak while protecting the polio vaccination team.

According to the Karak Police spokesperson, the attack on a polio vaccination team occurred in Shakar Khel area within the jurisdiction of Teri Police Station. He said that unknown assailants opened fire on polio team resulting in the martyrdom of a police official and injury to a polio worker.

The martyred official had been identified as Irfan, while the injured polio worker was Asad, a resident of Gurguri. Upon receiving information about the incident, the District Police Officer, Khan Khail, and a police team immediately reached the scene. The body of the martyred officer and the injured worker were shifted to the hospital. A large police contingent had cordoned off the area, and started a search operation to apprehend the culprits.

Also, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the polio workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s district Karak, resulting in the martyrdom of a policeman.

The prime minister directed the relevant authorities to provide immediate medical assistance to those injured in the incident.  

In separate press statements, the president and the prime minister expressed deep sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of the policeman.

President Asif Zardari said that the terrorists, who did not want to see the people healthy and prosperous, were the enemies of the future of the country and the nation.

He urged the people to fully participate in the government’s anti-polio campaign and ensure administering polio drops to their children.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that the sacrifices of the security forces in government’s efforts to eradicate polio disease in the country will never go in vain.

Expressing concerns over the attack on the polio workers, the prime minister said such actions will not deter the government’s commitments.

“The government will utilize all possible resources to ensure the safety of the polio workers till complete eradication of the disease in the country,” he added.