Punjab, poisoned sweets for Christian children: three dead and five hospitalised

An unidentified man is alleged to have left bait, presumably intended for stray dogs, in his rickshaw. Two children are still in critical condition. The episode rekindles attention on the vulnerability of religious minorities in Punjab, already affected by violence and accusations of blasphemy. Civil society is calling for justice and accountability, including for the health authorities.

Hafizabad (AsiaNews) – Three children have died and five others have been hospitalised following a case of poisoning that occurred two days ago, on 14 April, in the Christian neighbourhood of Qila Sahib Singh, in Hafizabad, in the province of Punjab in Pakistan.

According to statements collected by the police, an unidentified man on board a rickshaw left sweets, presumably poisoned and intended for stray dogs, in a plastic bag inside the vehicle. The children, who were playing in the street, noticed the sweets and, taking advantage of the fact that the driver was not there, they took them and ate them.

The victims are Danish, 10 years old, David, 7 years old, and Samson, 8 years old. Five other children of the same age who had started vomiting on the spot were rushed to the children's hospital in Lahore, where two of them are still in critical condition.

An investigation has been opened based on the complaint filed at the Hafizabad police station. The authorities have promised to arrest those responsible within 48 hours, but so far there have been no developments.

The incident has been criticised by civil society and organisations for the rights of religious minorities. Joseph Janssen, activist and president of the non-profit organisation Voice for Justice, defined the episode as ‘part of a wider pattern of unchecked religious extremism and systemic injustice’. According to the activist, ‘when the judicial system refuses to act, it encourages those responsible and normalises hatred’.

According to Salestine Bhatti, a Christian resident of the area, the poisoned sweets are actually bait used to kill stray dogs. ‘This is total negligence on the part of the Health Department,’ he told AsiaNews.

‘A doctor has the responsibility to administer this drug to dogs in person, but unfortunately our doctors allow their staff to go into the field for this purpose. An untrained person cannot do this job, but in this case it was a driver who administered the drug, and because of his negligence three children lost their lives’. Bhatti has asked that health officials also be held accountable.

The district police chief, Atif Nazir Kadhar, visited the families to express his condolences and assured them that the investigation would continue on all fronts. ‘This is a deeply tragic and heartbreaking incident,’ he told the Dawn newspaper. ’The police are investigating from every angle to bring those responsible to justice.’

In the days following the incident, several residents demonstrated, calling for the arrest of the perpetrators and greater protection for minors. However, this is not an isolated incident: in recent months there have been several cases of violence and discrimination against the Christian community in Punjab. The most serious incident occurred in August 2023, in Jaranwala, where 26 churches and over 200 Christian homes were destroyed following accusations of blasphemy which later proved to be unfounded.

‘We are facing a worrying trend,’ concluded Janssen. ’Pakistan must face the reality of institutional discrimination, or more innocent lives will be lost.’