Seven children from the same family fell ill after drinking poisonous substances in the Jalozai Mahajir Bazaar area of Nowshera.
The children bought the syrup from a shop in the neighbourhood, after which they became unwell.
According to the parents, the children started feeling nauseous and dizzy immediately after drinking the syrup.
The affected children were immediately shifted to Mian Rashid Hussain Shaheed Memorial Hospital, where, according to hospital sources, the condition of two children is said to be critical.
Read also: Protesters dismantle Illegal Toll Plaza in Azakhel Nowshera
Tensions ran high in Nowshera’s Azakhel area, when a large number of local residents and transporters launched a fierce protest against a toll plaza, which they claim has been illegally established on the Grand Trunk (GT) Road.
The demonstrators, frustrated over what they described as an unjust and unauthorized tax, toppled the toll booth cabin and demanded the immediate removal of the plaza. Eyewitnesses reported that the protest, which started peacefully, quickly escalated when protestors began chanting slogans against the toll collection, accusing officials of imposing illegal financial burdens on the public.
In a symbolic act of resistance, demonstrators physically dismantled the toll plaza structure, an action that highlighted the depth of public anger over the matter. Speaking at the site, Sikandar Khan, president of the local transport association, condemned the toll as an illegal and unannounced tax imposed without any government notification.
He accused those responsible of exploiting the public under the guise of development, adding that such steps were deeply resented by both transporters and the general population, who already face inflation and rising fuel costs.
