On October 14, 2025, tragedy struck the Matta area of Swat district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when Levies constable Abdul Kabir, assigned to protect a polio vaccination team, was shot dead by unidentified assailants. The attack, which occurred as two female health workers were administering polio vaccines inside a house, has reignited concerns about the persistent threats faced by health workers and their security escorts during critical immunization campaigns across the region.
According to Dawn, District Police Officer Muhammad Umar Khan confirmed that the attackers opened fire on Abdul Kabir while he stood guard outside the home. The gunmen fled the scene immediately after the shooting. In response, police and law enforcement cordoned off the area and initiated a search operation to apprehend the culprits. "The area has been cordoned off, and a search operation is underway to arrest the culprits. No anti-state elements will be allowed to sabotage peace in Swat," Khan stated, adding that authorities are determined to bring those responsible to justice.
This fatal assault came just a day after the Pakistani government launched an ambitious nationwide polio eradication campaign with the goal of vaccinating more than 45 million children. The campaign, now in its second day, saw over 12.7 million children immunized on its first day alone, according to statistics from the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). The breakdown of vaccinations by province underscores the scale of the effort: 7.325 million children in Punjab, 2.567 million in Sindh, 1.768 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 667,000 in Balochistan, 108,000 in Islamabad, 93,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 246,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Yet, the campaign’s progress is marred by violence and tragedy. Attacks on polio teams are not new in Pakistan, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In 2024 alone, 20 people lost their lives and 53 others were injured during anti-polio campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as reported by The Express Tribune. Just five days prior to the Swat attack, a similar assault targeted a vaccination team, highlighting the relentless risks faced by those on the front lines of public health.
Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Information for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ikhtiar Wali Khan, did not mince words in his condemnation. In a statement issued Tuesday, he called the attack "an assault on the bright future of Pakistan" and labeled the perpetrators as "enemies of humanity and criminals of the nation." He praised those who protect children from disability as "the true heroes of the nation," and reaffirmed the government’s resolve to eradicate polio. "No matter how many obstacles the enemies of Pakistan place in the path of our children’s future, the country will emerge as polio-free," Khan emphasized. Paying tribute to Abdul Kabir, he declared, "Such brave sons are the pride of the nation."
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack, expressing deep sympathy for Abdul Kabir’s family and reiterating the government’s commitment to bringing the attackers to justice. "Abdul Kabir achieved the highest honor while performing his duty," Naqvi said, adding, "those who attack teams working for children’s future deserve no leniency." He vowed that the state would take strict action against anyone attempting to sabotage efforts to protect innocent children from polio.
Locals in Swat and across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have expressed grief and outrage over the incident. Many have called on authorities to bolster security for polio teams, recognizing the vital role these workers play in safeguarding the health of future generations. As one local resident remarked, "These workers risk their lives for our children. It’s heartbreaking that they are targeted for trying to help."
The risks faced by polio workers and their protectors stem from a complex mix of factors. Misinformation and vaccine hesitancy, often fueled by militant groups, have made some communities suspicious of vaccination drives. In several past incidents, militants have targeted vaccination teams, claiming—without basis—that the polio vaccine is harmful or part of a foreign plot. These falsehoods have had deadly consequences, discouraging parents from vaccinating their children and making the work of health workers perilous.
Despite these challenges, the government has pressed on with its eradication efforts. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), two new poliovirus cases were detected in Sindh province in September 2025, raising the nationwide tally for the year to 29. Of these, 18 cases were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan. The latest cases involved two girls in Badin and Thatta districts, following an earlier case in Hyderabad, bringing Sindh’s total to nine for the year.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains one of the only two countries in the world where Wild Poliovirus is still endemic. The persistence of the virus in these regions stands in stark contrast to global progress, as most other countries have successfully eliminated polio through mass immunization campaigns. The stakes are high: failure to eradicate polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan risks global resurgence of the disease, threatening decades of hard-won progress.
In addition to Swat, anti-polio campaigns have been launched in Nowshera and Haripur, with a combined target of vaccinating over 400,000 children, as reported by Business Recorder. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to reach every child, even in hard-to-access and conflict-prone areas. However, as the killing of Abdul Kabir demonstrates, the path to a polio-free Pakistan remains fraught with danger.
The courage of health workers and their security details is not lost on the public or on officials. As Ikhtiar Wali Khan noted, "Those who protect innocent children from disability are the true heroes of the nation." Their sacrifices—and the risks they endure—underscore the urgency of addressing both security and misinformation challenges if Pakistan is to achieve its goal of eradicating polio once and for all.
As the nation mourns Abdul Kabir and others lost in the fight against polio, the resolve to continue the campaign remains unshaken. The government, local communities, and international partners are united in their determination to protect every child from the threat of polio, no matter the obstacles. The memory of those who gave their lives for this cause is a powerful reminder of what’s at stake—and why the fight must go on.
