Islamabad the 31st August, 2026: The Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination of the National Assembly on Monday expressed serious concern over the deaths of 14 infants in the PIMS nursery fire, questioning the effectiveness of the inquiry conducted on the Prime Minister’s directions and demanding accountability of every person found responsible for the tragedy.

 

Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, MNA, said the Committee’s primary concern was not merely how the infants could have been rescued after the fire, but why a fire was able to engulf the nursery within such a short period in the first place. He questioned the availability and functioning of fire-safety systems, electrical installations, air-conditioning equipment, oxygen arrangements, biomedical equipment, emergency preparedness and staff training.

The Committee sought the complete inquiry findings, detailed cause of death of each of the 14 infants, the number of persons present inside the nursery at the time of the incident, CCTV footage before and after the fire, inspection records, biomedical equipment records, fire-safety audits and details of mock drills and emergency training. Members questioned reports that an air-conditioner may have caused a spark while other accounts suggested that the AC was not functioning, observing that the exact source of the fire remained unclear. The Committee also questioned why portable air-conditioners were being used in such a critical area and why all equipment and electrical systems had not been regularly inspected. The Committee expressed grave concern over the absence or inadequacy of fire drills, staff training, fire alarms, sprinklers and emergency preparedness, observing that effective preparedness could have prevented loss of life. It directed that the relevant record of fire-safety installations, expenditure, procurement, tenders, contractors, installation and maintenance during the last five years be produced before the Committee.

 

The Committee also questioned the performance of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA), asking whether the Authority had discharged its statutory responsibility of inspecting and enforcing minimum standards in both public and private healthcare establishments in Islamabad. Members questioned when the last comprehensive inspection of PIMS was conducted, whether prescribed minimum service and safety standards were being enforced and whether IHRA had carried out the required audits and inspections of public hospitals.

 

The Committee observed that regulatory failure could not be overlooked when repeated safety and governance concerns were emerging from major healthcare institutions. It also questioned the composition and legal status of the IHRA Regulatory Board and raised concerns regarding possible conflicts of interest and the manner of appointment of its Chief Executive Officer, directing that the relevant legal position be clarified. The Committee decided to summon relevant IHRA officials, including the concerned regulatory authorities, at its next meeting and seek a detailed account of inspections, violations and enforcement action.

 

Members expressed serious concern that the Federal Minister for National Health Services appeared to be unaware of several major issues confronting the health sector, stating that Committee members were repeatedly identifying problems that should ordinarily be brought to the Minister’s attention by the Ministry and its attached departments. The Committee observed that the Minister could not remain dependent solely on departmental briefings and stressed that political and administrative ownership was essential for reforming the health sector.

 

Members also questioned the Ministry regarding the action taken after the Prime Minister’s inquiry report and whether the recommendations and identification of responsible officials had actually been acted upon. The Minister stated that the Prime Minister had constituted the inquiry committee on the evening of the incident and that the Ministry had not subsequently conducted a parallel inquiry, maintaining that another investigation could result in duplication. Members, however, disagreed and questioned whether the Ministry should independently verify the findings and ensure implementation of recommendations falling within its mandate. The Committee further asked whether the officials and ministries identified in the inquiry report including the relevant health, interior and establishment authorities had taken the required action.

 

Several members termed the incident a case of criminal negligence and questioned why criminal proceedings had not been initiated against all those responsible. The Committee directed that the legal position regarding registration of criminal cases against officials identified as responsible be examined and that the concerned Law Division provide its opinion. The Committee was informed that a letter had been sent to the Ministry of Interior for criminal proceedings against all eight persons identified in connection with the matter. Members nevertheless demanded clarity regarding the action taken against each individual and the basis on which responsibility had been fixed. The Committee also questioned the suitability of having retired officers inquire into the conduct of serving officials and sought clarity regarding the composition and mandate of the inquiry committee.

 

The Committee expressed strong concern over administrative arrangements at PIMS, particularly the practice of assigning multiple additional charges to individual officers. Members questioned how one official could reportedly be holding as many as nine additional charges and still be expected to effectively manage critical responsibilities. The Committee sought the complete details of all additional charges, the basis of their assignment and the reasons other officers were not appointed to those positions.

 

The Committee also questioned the appointment of the new Executive Director of PIMS, noting concerns regarding whether the incumbent possessed the appropriate administrative and institutional experience required to manage a major tertiary-care hospital. The Minister acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and stated that PIMS required radical restructuring, adding that even the new Executive Director alone would not be able to resolve the institution's deep-rooted problems. Members stressed that PIMS could not continue to operate without fundamental improvements in governance, staffing, patient management, emergency preparedness and accountability.

 

The Committee warned that the PIMS incident should serve as a wake-up call for the entire healthcare system and pointed out that other major public hospitals, including Polyclinic, also required urgent fire-safety assessment. The Committee expressed grave concern on the absence of Chairman CDA/Chief Commissioner Islamabad from the meeting. It directed that the the Commissioner Islamabad/Chairman CDA, all members of the PM inquiry Committee and the 8 accused in the interim report be called in the next meeting to brief the Committee. The Committee further proposed third-party fire, performance, clinical and safety audits of healthcare facilities of all healthcare facilities in ICT. The Committee further highlighted shortage of doctors and other healthcare staff, inadequate availability of postgraduate and associate-level specialists, patient-management problems and alleged referral of patients to private clinics by doctors, directing the Ministry and PIMS administration to address these issues. The Committee emphasized that its objective was not merely to assign blame after the tragedy but to answer the fundamental question:

“How can the next child be saved?”

The Chairman stressed that the Committee would pursue the matter until responsibility was established and effective corrective measures were put in place so that no other hospital or family would have to face a tragedy of this nature.

 

The meeting was attended by MNAs Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, Ms. Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Dr. Shaista Khan, Ms. Farukh Khan, Ms. Aliya Kamran, Raja Khurram Shehzad Nawaz, Ms. Sabheen Ghoury and Gul Asghar Khan (virtually). Dr. Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto, MNA, Ms. Huma Akhter Chughtai, MNA, Ms. Sharmila Faruqui Hishaam Sahiba, MNA, Dr. Shahida Rehmani, MNA, Ms. Amna Batool, MNA, attended the meeting as Special Invitee. The Minister for National Health, senior officials from the Ministry of NHSR&C and its attached departments also participated in the meeting.

 

(BISMA RAHMAN ZAFAR)

 Deputy Director/Secretary Committee