A Pims fire safety inquiry has been ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif against senior officials of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, who are accused of failing to act on known risks before a nursery blaze in August killed 14 newborn babies. The charge sheet alleges that earlier warning signs, including a fire at the institute’s nursing hostel in July, were not adequately addressed. The allegations have yet to be proved, and the officials have been given the opportunity to respond.
What the Charge Sheet Alleges
According to Dawn, the charge sheet states that timely corrective measures could have prevented the August fire. It alleges that although the hospital administration was put on notice about the July 6 fire at the Female Nursing Hostel, deficiencies relating to the cause of the fire, evacuation and emergency response were not properly dealt with.
The document further says the officials failed to initiate, recommend and ensure reasonable safeguards after the first incident. In the words of the charge sheet as reported, these omissions point to a failure to establish an effective, documented and verifiable system for mitigating fire and life-safety risks. Such fire safety deficiencies, the prime minister’s office suggests, were left unresolved when they could have been corrected.
The matter has also carried political weight. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal claimed after the August tragedy that he had been kept in the dark about the nursing hostel fire.
Who Is Facing the Charges
The charge sheet against Pims officials has been served on eight individuals. They include former Executive Director Prof Dr Rana Imran Sikander, Joint Executive Director Ch. Waris Ali Raza, Mother and Child Health Centre Director Prof Dr Nosheela Amjad, Head of Neonatology Prof Dr Sadia Riaz, and a security official, Mohammad Usman. Dr Mutahir Shah, Dr Aneza Jalil and Dr Nagham Nawaz are also named.
In the case of Dr Jalil, who was performing charge as Deputy Executive Director, the document specifically alleges that she did not exercise adequate administrative diligence after being alerted to the July fire. It also alleges that she did not ensure reasonable safeguards while corrective measures were pending. She has been given 14 days to submit a written reply.
How the Pims Fire Safety Inquiry Will Proceed
Acting as the competent authority under the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020, the prime minister has constituted a three-member committee to determine responsibility. It is headed by Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul, with Education Secretary Nadeem Mahbub and Human Rights Secretary Abdul Khaliq Sheikh as members. Joint Secretary (hospitals) Mohammad Bakhsh Sangi has been nominated as the departmental representative.
The team has been directed to complete its proceedings within 60 days unless the competent authority grants an extension. It must submit its report within seven days of finishing, stating clearly whether the charges have been proved and recommending either exoneration or penalties. If the charges are established under the relevant rules, the proceedings could result in disciplinary action, including dismissal from service.
The August Tragedy Behind the Proceedings
The inquiry follows one of the deadliest hospital fires in recent memory. On the morning of August 26, a fire broke out in the nursery on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital ward at Pims. Hospital officials said 15 newborns were in the ward at the time. Fourteen died and one was rescued.
Accounts of the cause have varied. A preliminary report shared by the Pims spokesperson, as carried by The Express Tribune, said a spark inside the nursery had triggered a blaze that spread within seconds because of the oxygen points at each incubator. Rescue officials quoted by other outlets pointed instead to a possible air-conditioner fault. Several inquiries were launched in the immediate aftermath, including a multiagency fact-finding committee appointed by the Islamabad district magistrate, which was asked to examine whether adequate fire-safety measures were in place and to evaluate the emergency response. Prime Minister Sharif also formed a high-level inquiry committee and, according to the Tribune, suspended the health secretary.
The tragedy drew comparisons with the June 2024 fire at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital in Punjab, which killed 11 babies, as reported by Al Jazeera. It also left grieving families angry and demanding accountability.
Questions of Accountability
The latest proceedings shift attention from the immediate cause of the August blaze to the question of institutional responsibility, namely whether a documented earlier warning was acted upon. The committee’s findings will determine whether the allegations hold, and what penalties, if any, follow.
For the families who lost newborns, and for patients who continue to rely on Pims, the outcome of the inquiry will be closely watched. It may also set expectations for how public hospitals across the country respond when a fire incident exposes systemic gaps in safety preparedness.
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