PESHAWAR / KHYBER DISTRICT (Khyber Mail): In a concerning development, unidentified individuals abducted polio workers from the area between Malak Din Khel Boundary and Qambar Khel in Khyber District. The incident occurred near the Tirah Valley and Bara regions, where the perpetrators, traveling on two motorcycles and a Toyota vehicle, forcibly took the workers to an undisclosed location. Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation to identify those responsible and determine their motives.
This troubling event comes just days before the start of a five-day anti-polio campaign, set to begin on April 21, 2025, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The campaign aims to vaccinate over 6.5 million children under the age of five, with the support of 35,460 trained polio workers and 50,000 security personnel. The abduction underscores the continued security challenges faced by vaccination teams working in high-risk regions.
Despite these obstacles, efforts to eradicate polio persist. The authorities are committed to ensuring the safety of frontline health workers and the success of the upcoming campaign.