SHANGLA: A minor girl lost her life after a stray dog bit her in the Makhozi area of Puran tehsil of Shangla.
The nine-year-old girl’s death due to a stray dog bite has raised questions over the effectiveness of anti-rabies vaccines.
According to locals, the incident occurred in the Makhuzi area of Shangla district, where a 9-year-old girl, Anab, daughter of Muhammad Ayub and a resident of Sangrai, died of rabies despite receiving immediate vaccination following the dog bite.
According to local sources, the girl was bitten by a stray dog 25 days ago.
Within two hours of the incident, she was administered both immunoglobulin and the anti-rabies vaccine at the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.
Questions raised over effectiveness of vaccine
However, despite timely medical attention, she later developed symptoms of rabies and succumbed to the disease.
Hospital officials stated that the dog had bitten the girl on her face, very close to the brain, which may have hindered the vaccine’s effectiveness.
This might be one factor but health experts have emphasised that other factors such as the quality of the vaccine, the condition of the dog and vaccine storage protocols should also be investigated.
The incident has sparked outrage and concern among residents amidst growing number of stray dogs in Shangla and the apparent lack of control measures.
Citizens and health activists have demanded a thorough inquiry into the incident.
ACTION AGAINST JUVENILE DRIVERS: Shangla police on Friday launched a crackdown on juvenile motorcyclists; several were arrested and later released upon their parents provided signed affidavits, pledging not to allow their underage children to ride motorcycles on main roads in the future..
A statement issued by the DPO Shangla said that on the directives of DPO Shangla, Shah Hassan, a large-scale operation was carried out against underaged motorcyclists in different areas of the district.
The crackdown was conducted under the supervision of SDPO Alpuri, Ehsanullah, along with SHO Alpuri Police Station, Muhammad Arif and SHO Karora Police Station, Liaquat Ali.
During the operation, several underage motorcyclists were apprehended and taken to Alpuri and Karora police stations. Police officials stated that the drive was aimed at ensuring road safety and preventing accidents caused by underage and unlicensed riders.
Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2025.
