KARACHI — Pakistani police said Friday that five children from a single family died after dining at a restaurant in the sprawling port city of Karachi, adding to growing national concern over public hygiene and the lax enforcement of food safety laws.

The children, aged 2 to 9, had dined with their family in Karachi’s business district. Their mother and aunt were also hospitalized early Friday morning and remained in critical condition later that day.

These and other recent deaths are sparking a nationwide outcry over food safety. Last November, two brothers died in Karachi after consuming food from an upscale restaurant.

In the city of Multan in Punjab Province, 15 people were hospitalized in January after eating food contaminated by lizards. In another incident last month, about 240 people suffered food poisoning at a wedding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.