On Wednesday, Pakistani officials disclosed that authorities have arrested a key suspect in connection with the gang rape of a polio worker, who was assaulted by three men during a vaccination drive the week prior. Two additional suspects are currently still on the run. This incident took place in Jacobabad, a district situated in the southern Sindh province, amidst a pattern of assaults targeting polio vaccination teams engaged in door-to-door campaigns across Pakistan.
Local police officer Mohammad Saifal reported that the victim reached out to the police to report her assault after she had entered a home in Jacobabad to administer polio drops to children. The apprehended individual has been named as Ahmad Jakhrani, who was taken into custody overnight. According to Saifal, law enforcement is actively pursuing the remaining two suspects, who are believed to have taken turns in the attack.
In the aftermath of this incident, disciplinary measures were introduced against a local police chief and a district administrator due to their failure to provide sufficient security for the polio worker.
This horrific act has shocked many in Pakistan, where such sexual assaults are relatively rare; however, polio workers have previously faced harassment during their campaigns. The Sindh provincial government has vowed to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the situation.
Furthermore, the police have arrested the husband of the victim due to his threats against her life and his actions to remove her from their home, asserting that she brought shame to the family by being raped. “We are providing protection to the victim of assault,” she stated. “The government will ensure that all women polio workers get maximum security during the upcoming anti-polio campaigns.”
It’s crucial to note that honor killings, where family members may murder women and girls for perceived dishonor, still occur in Pakistan. Additionally, Saifal mentioned that police have been deployed to protect the residence where the victim is currently residing with relatives for her safety. Violence often disrupts anti-polio operations in Pakistan, with militants frequently targeting vaccination teams and their police escorts, fueled by unfounded claims that these campaigns serve as a Western scheme to sterilize children.
Since the start of the year, Pakistan has reported17 new polio cases, jeopardizing years of efforts to eliminate this dangerous, paralyzing disease from the populace. Children under the age of five are primarily affected by Polio, which is often transmitted through contaminated water sources. Notably, Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where the spread of polio has not been effectively controlled.
Anwarul Haq, who is in charge of polio efforts in Pakistan, confirmed that the government intends to launch another vaccination campaign in October.
