PM Nawaz condemns attack on policemen in Karachi

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday condemned the attacks that killed seven cops guarding polio workers in Karachi.

Police vehicles patrolling Organgi Town and Disco Mor areas for the security of polio workers came under attack by unidentified gunmen. 

“The nation is united against such cowardly acts. These policemen have sacrificed their lives for the safety of generations to come,” said PM Nawaz.

“Police has given countless sacrifices for peace, especially in Karachi.”

The premier said that the services of police and law enforcers in Pakistan’s war against terrorism deserve appreciation. “Police and law enforcers are continuously sacrificing their lives across the country,” he said.

The first attack took place near Disco Mor when unidentified gunmen opened fire on police vehicle, leaving three injured.

In another attack close to the busy Bangla Bazaar area, minutes later, unidentified gunmen attacked a different police vehicle, leaving four policemen injured.

The injured were rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where all seven cops were pronounced dead on arrival. The policemen received multiple gunshot wounds, hospital sources said.

Polio, which can cause lifelong paralysis, is now endemic in only two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Teams in Pakistan working to immunize children against the virus are often targeted by Taliban and other militant groups, who say the campaign is a cover for Western spies, or accuse workers of distributing drugs designed to sterilise children.

At least 89 people — including vaccination workers and policemen — have been killed in such attacks since July 2012, according to a Reuters tally based on United Nations figures and media reports.

Last year, Pakistan reported 54 of 74 worldwide cases of polio, down drastically from the 306 cases reported in the country the year before, mainly due to expanded immunization efforts.

Government officials in Karachi said the immunisation drive would be suspended while the violence was investigated.

— Geo News/Reuters