PIMS Fire Probe Recommends Action as Initial Report Reaches PM

An initial inquiry report into the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad has been submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with the investigating committee recommending action against officials found responsible for failures surrounding the incident. The development marks a significant step in the government-ordered investigation into one of the most serious recent safety failures at a major public hospital in the federal capital.

The inquiry was conducted by a committee headed by former interior secretary Shahid Khan. According to information reported by Dunya News, the panel completed its preliminary findings and submitted the document late Friday through the office of the prime minister's adviser, Tauqeer Shah. All members of the committee signed the report, while the decision on whether its findings should be released publicly has been left to the prime minister.

The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the fire as well as the response of hospital personnel and emergency services. The committee reviewed difficulties encountered by rescue teams during the operation and recorded accounts from PIMS administrators, doctors, fire brigade personnel and rescue officials. The inquiry also considered whether staff responsible for critical duties were present when the emergency unfolded.

Among its preliminary recommendations, the committee called for disciplinary proceedings against relevant PIMS employees who were absent at the time of the incident. Investigators also raised concerns about treatment arrangements and facilities at the hospital, concluding that shortcomings identified during the inquiry required urgent attention. The report recommended measures intended to reduce the risk of another similar emergency at the institution.

The investigation follows the August 26 fire at PIMS that killed 14 newborn babies and triggered nationwide concern over fire safety, emergency preparedness and hospital management. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a high-level inquiry after the tragedy, while the government also moved to determine whether negligence, inadequate safety systems or failures in the emergency response contributed to the deaths. Authorities have faced growing pressure from grieving families, lawmakers and the public to establish responsibility and ensure accountability.

The inquiry's mandate has included establishing the sequence of events, assessing the hospital's fire-safety infrastructure and examining the response by PIMS staff, the fire brigade and Rescue 1122. Investigators have also reviewed emergency procedures for transferring vulnerable newborns during a crisis. The broader scrutiny has placed renewed attention on whether Pakistan's major public hospitals are adequately prepared for fires and other emergencies involving intensive-care patients.

The federal government has already announced compensation of Rs5 million for each family that lost a newborn in the tragedy, while officials have repeatedly said those responsible for negligence will face action. The submission of the initial report now gives the prime minister a formal basis for deciding what disciplinary and administrative measures should follow.

Further proceedings are expected to focus on implementing the inquiry's recommendations, determining responsibility at individual and institutional levels and improving safety arrangements at PIMS. The government will also face calls to ensure that lessons from the tragedy are applied beyond one hospital, particularly through stronger fire-safety checks, emergency protocols and accountability mechanisms across public healthcare facilities.