A tragic incident involving poisoned sweets claims the lives of multiple children in a Christian neighborhood in Pakistan's Punjab province.
According to Christian Daily International, three children died and five others were hospitalized after consuming sweetmeat laced with poison intended for culling stray dogs in Qila Sahib Singh, a suburban area of Punjab's Hafizabad district.
The incident occurred on April 14 when eight children found and consumed poisoned sweets that were left hanging on a rickshaw in their street. Danish, 10, David Shehzad, 7, and Samson, 8, lost their lives, while five other children between the ages of 7 and 10 were rushed to the Children's Hospital in Lahore due to their critical condition.
Investigation reveals municipal worker negligence
Initial police reports suggested unidentified suspects had distributed the poisoned sweets. However, further investigation uncovered that the incident resulted from negligence by a sanitary worker employed by the Hafizabad Municipal Corporation.
Christian lawmaker Ejaz Alam Augustine conducted individual interviews with three surviving children who regained consciousness. The children revealed they found the sweetmeat in a transparent bag hanging on a parked rickshaw in their street.
The Hafizabad Municipal Corporation has launched an internal investigation, though they have not yet disclosed the identity of the supervisor responsible for handling the poisonous substance.
Critical condition of surviving victims
Two of the five hospitalized children remain in critical condition with severe lung damage from the poison. The victims include Aatishna, 10, Harry, 8, Kailash, 10, Shehroz, 7, and Shalom, 10.
Local authorities confirmed that government doctors are providing continuous medical attention to the survivors at the Children's Hospital in Lahore. Medical teams are working intensively to counteract the effects of the poison.
The District Headquarters Hospital in Hafizabad reported that two children were brought in dead, while another died during treatment before the remaining victims were transferred to Lahore.
Controversy over stray dog control methods
The poisoned sweets were part of the municipal corporation's controversial stray dog culling program, which uses restricted substances not readily available to the public.
Animal rights activists have long advocated for more humane methods of population control, such as neutering and spaying programs. However, Pakistani municipalities continue to rely on poisoning as their primary method of controlling stray dogs.
Ejaz Alam Augustine called for a thorough investigation of the incident, stating:
I individually interviewed the three children who have regained consciousness, and all of them told me that they had eaten the sweetmeat from a transparent bag left hanging on a rickshaw parked in their street. One of the deceased boys opened the bag and invited the others to join him. As soon as they ate from the bag, they started falling unconscious one after the other.
Devastating impact on Christian community
The tragic deaths highlight challenges faced by Pakistan's Christian minority, who largely reside in Punjab province. Many Christians in the area work as sanitary workers or farm laborers with limited access to education and career advancement opportunities.
The incident has deeply affected the local Christian community, with videos showing distraught families pleading for help at the hospital. Police have registered a First Information Report under Sections 302 and 337-J of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Pursuit of accountability continues
The poisoning incident in Qila Sahib Singh resulted in the deaths of three children and hospitalization of five others after they consumed sweetmeat intended for stray dog culling. The Hafizabad Municipal Corporation faces scrutiny over their handling of poisonous substances and the actions of their sanitary workers. While police initially suspected deliberate distribution of the tainted sweets, investigation revealed worker negligence as the primary cause. The case has drawn attention to both the risks of current stray dog control methods and the broader socioeconomic challenges faced by Pakistan's Christian minority communities.
