Levies Constable Martyred While Guarding Polio Team in Swat, KP

SWAT, Oct 15, 2025 — A Levies constable deployed for the security of a polio vaccination team was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, police confirmed. The attack took place amid a nationwide anti-polio campaign launched just a day earlier.

According to Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Umar Khan, the constable was standing guard while two female health workers administered polio drops inside a house. The attackers opened fire and fled the scene immediately after the incident.

Law enforcement agencies have since cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. “No anti-state elements will be allowed to sabotage peace in Swat,” DPO Khan said, vowing that those behind the attack would be brought to justice.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the attack, paying tribute to the fallen officer. “The attackers who targeted those securing the future of our children deserve no leniency,” he said in a statement, offering condolences to the bereaved family.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also denounced the act, calling it a “cowardly attack on the future of our nation.” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement issued via APP, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating polio, saying: “Despite such resistance, the campaign will continue until polio is completely eliminated.”

Polio teams in Pakistan, particularly in KP and Balochistan, often face violence. In 2024 alone, 20 people were killed and over 50 were injured during such campaigns. Misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, and attacks by militants — including the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — have hindered progress.

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Pakistan remains one of only two countries where polio is still endemic, underscoring the urgent need to protect both health workers and the country’s children.