It’s a heartbreaking tragedy days before Easter.
Just days before Easter, a heartbreaking incident occurred in a predominantly Christian neighborhood of sanitary workers in Qila Sahib Singh, a suburb in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Three children died and five others were hospitalized after consuming poisoned sweetmeats that were reportedly intended to kill stray dogs. The tragic event happened on the night of April 14, sparking widespread outrage and grief within the community.
According to an official police report filed by a local resident, Shahbaz Masih, unidentified individuals distributed the contaminated sweets to children playing outside. The report states that all eight children became critically ill and were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Hafizabad. Sadly, three children—Danish, David Shehzad, and Samson—died from the poisoning, while the remaining five were transferred to a specialized children’s hospital in Lahore for urgent care. The case is being investigated under charges of murder and intentional poisoning.
Authorities at the hospital confirmed that two of the children were deceased upon arrival, and one passed away during treatment. The remaining five received emergency care and were accompanied by a team of government medical professionals to Lahore for continued treatment. Despite initial assumptions that unknown individuals had maliciously targeted the children, new information points to a case of grave negligence involving a local sanitary worker.
Punjab Assembly lawmaker Ejaz Alam Augustine revealed that interviews with three recovering children indicated the sweets were found hanging in a transparent bag on a parked rickshaw. One of the boys had opened the bag and shared the contents with the others, unaware of the danger. Augustine stated that the poisoned treats had been given to a municipal sanitary worker for disposal, but instead were left in a public area where children could access them.
The poison used was part of an ongoing dog culling campaign led by the Hafizabad Municipal Corporation. This method of stray dog control, while common in Pakistan, has faced criticism from animal welfare advocates who favor more humane alternatives. Augustine called for accountability, emphasizing that this tragedy stemmed from preventable negligence. He also accused the municipal authorities of attempting to shield the supervisor responsible. Urging a comprehensive investigation, he stressed the importance of justice for the victims and safeguards to prevent such an incident from recurring.
