Pakistan report 46th polio cases of 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported its 46th polio case of 2024, with the latest case emerging from Quetta’s Qila Saifullah district in Balochistan, ARY News reported.

As per details, the National Reference Laboratory has confirmed the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 in the affected child.

This is the second polio case reported from Qila Saifullah this year, highlighting concerns about the ongoing transmission of the virus in the region.

In 2024, 23 polio cases were reported in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, Sindh 12 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 9, Punjab and Islamabad 1 case each.

The report came at the time when two policemen were martyred in a terrorist attack on a polio vaccination team in Upper Orakzai district.

“Three attackers were also killed in retaliatory firing,” police officials said.

Also read: Two policemen die in polio vaccination team attack in Orakzai

The terrorists opened fire over an anti-polio team at Dabori Badan Kalay in Upper Orakzai resulting in death of two policemen on security duty of the polio team, police sources said.

Three terrorists were killed in a search operation. Police and other security agencies personnel reached to the spot in Dabori Badan Kalay. A clearance operation has been underway in the area.

Another incident of firing over a polio vaccination team reported in Kohat’s Darrewal Banda but the policemen as well as the vaccinators were unscathed. The attackers fled from the scene after counter fire by policemen.