KARACHI: An anti-polio vaccination worker, identified as Rehmanullah, was gunned down in Karachi’s Ahsanabad area on Thursday morning, days before the launch of a nationwide polio immunisation campaign.
According to the victim’s cousin, Rehmanullah was on his way to duty when unidentified assailants opened fire on him. His mobile phone, wallet, and motorcycle were found at the scene, suggesting that robbery was not the motive behind the attack.
A local lawyer told reporters that this was the second killing in Ahsanabad within 20 days, recalling that a young man named Mansoor had earlier been shot dead in an alleged robbery attempt. He added that after that incident, police had filed 22 FIRs against residents who protested to demand justice.
The lawyer said that the latest murder has created panic among residents and deepened concerns over deteriorating law and order in the area. “If Rehmanullah doesn’t get justice, we will have no choice but to protest again,” he warned.
Both the victim’s family and the lawyer condemned the incident, urging authorities to immediately arrest those responsible and ensure security for health workers in the area.
The killing comes just ahead of the national polio vaccination drive scheduled from October 13 to 19, which aims to vaccinate more than 45.4 million children under the age of five across Pakistan.
Over 400,000 frontline health workers and volunteers are expected to participate in the campaign, which will also include the administration of vitamin A supplements to strengthen immunity. The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) confirmed that approximately 16 million children in Sindh will be covered under the upcoming drive.
So far this year, 23 polio cases have been reported in Pakistan, one of the last countries in the world where the virus remains endemic.
