By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
HAFIZABAD, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – At least three Christian children have died in Pakistan’s Punjab province after a suspected Islamic extremist distributed poisoned sweets among Christian kids, several sources told Worthy News Tuesday.
The “horrifying incident has shaken the Christian community in Qila Sahib Singh, a neighborhood in [the city of] Hafizabad,” said Sardar Mushtaq Gill, the founder of the advocacy group LEAD Ministries Pakistan.
Gill, whose group represents Christians in the region, told Worthy News that the attack occurred on Palm Sunday, April 14, at about 6:30 p.m. local time. The distribution of poisoned sweets “has tragically claimed the lives of three children, while five others remain hospitalized in critical condition,” Gill added.
Police announced that investigations are currently underway to identify and apprehend the suspect.
Eyewitnesses said an unknown man arrived in the area “on a three-wheeler” and handed out sweets “specifically to Christian children.”
Shortly after consuming the sweets, the children reportedly began showing signs of severe illness. “Alarmed residents attempted to intervene, but the suspect fled the scene before he could be apprehended,” Gill confirmed.
Christian leaders suggested this attack was religiously motivated and potentially linked to Islamic extremist groups known for targeting Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan.
TIMING OF ATTACK
“The timing of the attack—so close to Easter—has heightened concerns of further targeted violence during the Christian holy season,” LEAD said in a statement.
“This was not a random act,” added Pastor Imran Amanat, a leader with LEAD Ministries, “This was a deliberate attempt to harm our children and our community. We demand immediate action from the authorities and full protection for Christians during this vulnerable time.”
Gill called it “a heinous act of religiously motivated violence” and added there was a “need for urgent government intervention to prevent further tragedies.”
LEAD Ministries has urged the Christian community to remain vigilant and united in prayer. “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of these innocent lives,” said Pastor Amanat. “We ask the global Christian community to join us in prayer—prayers for comfort, for healing, and for justice.”
This tragic event has reignited calls for stronger legal protections and security measures for Pakistan’s Christian minority, which has faced discrimination, threats, and violence, LEAD said.
“As the investigation continues, the Christian community in Hafizabad—and across Pakistan—waits for justice and for meaningful action to ensure such violence is never repeated,” Gill told Worthy News.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Hamas has formally rejected Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal, criticizing it as a “partial” deal that fails to guarantee a complete end to the war or a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The United States may abandon efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine within days if no clear progress is made, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on April 18. Speaking after talks in Paris with European and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio said President Trump is prepared to “move on” from the negotiations in the absence of any clear signs of progress.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced a Christian man to death on Good Friday on controversial charges of blasphemy against Islam, Christians told Worthy News.
Christians across autocratically-ruled Nicaragua “are celebrating Holy Week” leading up to Easter under the watchful eye of police and paramilitary forces, Christians told Worthy News on Good Friday.
Italy’s rightwing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says U.S. President Donald J. Trump has accepted her invitation for an official trip to Rome at a time when the third largest economy in the European Union tries to bridge differences between the EU and the U.S. over trade and security.
An area near Italy’s southern city of Naples plunged into mourning early Friday after authorities confirmed that at least four people died and one was seriously injured when a cable car crashed to the ground.
Hamas is facing a crippling cash crisis in Gaza, struggling to pay its fighters and government workers amid intensified Israeli pressure.