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Six people were arrested on Friday after a polio vaccination team, accompanied by police officers, was allegedly “attacked” by residents in an unregulated settlement in Korangi area of Karachi.
The Sindh government had launched a week-long immunization campaign on Monday. The final polio vaccination drive of the year aimed to reach 10.6 million children under five, with 64 cases of poliovirus reported nationwide this year.
According to a statement from the spokesperson for the senior superintendent of police (SSP) in Korangi, the polio workers and their security team arrived at the home of a tribal family in the settlement when they were reportedly “attacked” by the women present.
The Korangi deputy superintendent of police (DSP), along with female officers and Rangers, responded to the scene, at which point the family reportedly “reacted aggressively” and began throwing stones at the police.
The statement added that the police quickly gained control of the situation and arrested four women and two boys. A case is being filed against the suspects under government orders.
Polio remains endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan, making these two countries among the last in the world where the disease continues to spread. The virus predominantly affects children under five, often causing lifelong paralysis.
