In a tragic incident in Qila Sahib Singh, a suburban area of Punjab’s Hafizabad district, three children lost their lives while five others are reported to be in critical condition after having “poisonous” sweets, according to the first information report filed by police.

According to the FIR, “all eight children fell seriously ill after consuming the poisonous sweets and were immediately taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Hafizabad on Monday evening.”

A statement by the Hafizabad District Headquarters Hospital read: “Two children were received dead, one died during the course of treatment and the other five were managed accordingly and were referred later to the Children Hospital Lahore by the Rescue 1122.”

It added that the victims were accompanied by a team of government doctors for continuous medical attention.

Following the incident, a first information report (FIR) was registered at the City police station of Hafizabad on the complaint of Shahbaz Masih against unidentified suspects.

The case includes Sections 302 (murder) and 337-J (administering poisonous substances) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The FIR read that three children — 10-year-old Danish, seven-year-old David Shehzad, and eight-year-old Samson — had died. The remaining five children, due to their critical condition, were transferred to the Children’s Hospital in Lahore on Monday evening.

These children include 10-year-old Aatishna, eight-year-old Harry, 10-year-old Kailash, seven-year-old Shehroz, and 10-year-old Shalom. The children, aged between 6 and 12 years, all belonged to the same neighbourhood in Qila Sahib Singh, Hafizabad. They belong to the Christian community, casting a shadow of grief among its members in the area.

According to the hospital report, the children were brought to the emergency ward between 8:30pm and 9:45pm.

Hafizabad District Police Officer (DPO) Atif Nazir Kadhar took immediate notice of the incident, visited the site, and met with the bereaved families to express his condolences.

He directed the circle officer to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a complete report. According to the DPO, the culprits will be arrested within 48 hours, and all available resources are being used to uncover the truth behind the incident.

Speaking to Dawn.com, DPO Kadhar said, “This is a deeply tragic and heartbreaking incident involving eight innocent children of the Christian community, three of whom have lost their lives. The police are investigating from every angle to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.”

Local residents are demanding the immediate arrest and strict punishment of the perpetrators. Meanwhile, the administration has assured the affected families that justice will be served.

Last month, in another incident involving a poisoning — a woman in Okara, along with a man she was allegedly having an affair with, poisoned her husband, leading to his death, according to an FIR.

In February, a woman was also allegedly poisoned to death by her in-laws in the Race Course area of Rawalpindi.