Unidentified attacks opened fire against charges Constable in SWAT Despite additional police jeam that was deployed in the area
A Levies Constable, identified as Abdul Kabeer of the state app, which was awarded to protect a polio vaccination team, was killed on Tuesday when unidentified attackers opened fire against him in the Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said.
The incident took place a day after the government launched a nationwide polio expulsion campaign that targeted over 45 million children. A special order had been issued to the campaign where additional police officers and staff were deployed.
Pakistan is still one of only two countries in the world with Afghanistan, where polio is still endemic. Security risks, vaccine tohes and incorrect information continue to slow down extermination efforts.
The SWAT District police officer Muhammad Umar Khan said the martyred constable was on duty along with a polio team of two female health workers.
“The workers administered vaccines inside a house while the constable was guarding outside when he was attacked,” he said. “The assailants fled from the scene after the incident.”
Read: Nationwide Polio Drive begins today
Khan added that police and law enforcement authorities reached the stage and launched an investigation.
“The area has been closed and a search operation is underway to understand the perpetrators. No anti-State elements are allowed to disturb the peace in Swat,” he said, adding that those responsible for the attack would be brought to court.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the polio vaccination team in the SWAT MATTA area and offered compassion for the martyred security officer.
“The government is obliged to complete the extinction of polio from the country. Despite such resistance from terrorists, the antipolio campaign continues at full speed and will continue until the disease is completely eradicated,” he said.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack and paid tribute to the martyred official. He expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased.
“The assailants who targeted the team who worked to protect our children’s future do not deserve any gentleness,” he said.
Federal ministerial engineer Amir Maqam condemned strongly attacked on a polio -dehumidifier team in Tehsil Matta, Swat. He paid tribute to the brave staff, Abdul Kabir, who was martyrated in the incident.
“Those who put their lives in the line with national duty are true heroes in the nation,” he said. He added that terror elements are threatening the future of the nation’s children, but emphasized that they would not be allowed to succeed under any circumstances.
Read more: Two charges staff martyrated in attack on polio teams in mastung
The national polio campaign was scheduled to run across the country from October 13 to 19. More than 400,000 health workers will door to door to ensure that children are vaccinated against polio, according to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC).
Polio vaccinators performing door-to-door inoculations for children are often targeted by militants, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. By 2024 alone, at least 20 people were killed and 53 wounded during antipolio operations in KP.
Two security staff who were awarded to protect a polio vaccination team were shot in a targeted attack in April in Balochistan’s Mastung district.
September -Data showed a decrease in vaccine endings during the latest immunization drive in KP, although some areas, such as Lowi Mamund Tehsil, so the residents announce a boycott of the campaign.
Despite significant progress in recent years, Pakistan is still one of the few countries in the world where polio is still paralyzing children, with health authorities warning that continued vigilance and public cooperation is crucial to stopping transmission.
Neoc confirmed the total number of polio cases reported over Pakistan as 27 in 2025. According to Neoc, Sindh has reported seven cases so far this year and highlighted ongoing challenges in eradicating the paralyzing virus from the province.
