• Report made public through health ministry’s website on PM’s directive
• Inquiry says cause of fire remains technically unresolved
• CCTV shows nursery conditions deteriorated within two minutes
• First recorded emergency call came 16 minutes after fire became visible
• Inquiry points to inadequate fire safety, evacuation, emergency response arrangements
• Nurse Razia Noreen to be awarded Sitara-i-Khidmat, Rs10m for rescuing child
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday ordered the immediate suspension and initiation of criminal proceedings against eight individuals identified by the inquiry committee in connection with the fatal Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) neonatal nursery fire.
The inquiry has identified serious institutional, administrative and fire-safety failures, but noted that the precise cause of the Aug 26 blaze, which claimed the lives of 14 infants, remained technically unresolved and that final criminal culpability would require further investigation and forensic examination.
Chairing a meeting on the incident, the prime minister ordered action against Pims Executive Director Prof Dr Imran Sikandar; neonatal department head Prof Dr Sadia Riaz; Senior Registrar Dr Naghma; Joint Executive Director Dr Mutahir Shah; Joint Executive Director (Non-Medical) Chaudhry Waris Ali Raza; MCH Director Dr Nosheela Amjad; CDA Emergency Services Director General Dr Abdul Rehman; and Pims Assistant Director Security Muhammad Usman.
The prime minister specifically directed that those held responsible by the committee should face not only departmental proceedings but also criminal action under the relevant laws.
He further ordered a review of the contract of the private security company deployed at Pims, with proceedings to be initiated if contractual violations were established. The relevant authorities were also asked to review the firm’s licence.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) CEO Dr Muhammad Salman was transferred and posted as Pims executive director on deputation until further orders while retaining additional charge of the NIH.
The prime minister directed that the interim inquiry report be made public and asked the committee, headed by former federal secretary Shahid Khan, to complete its investigation and submit a detailed report. Following his directive, the Ministry of National Health Services uploaded the report to its website.
Safety, response failures
According to the inquiry, CCTV footage showed that the emergency became visible at around 6:38am and conditions in the nursery deteriorated rapidly and smoke substantially obscured the area within about two minutes.
However, the report noted that staff made immediate rescue attempts and said the CCTV evidence did not support “generalised allegations that frontline medical and nursing staff simply abandoned the newborns”.
The first emergency call recorded by the Capital Emergency Services was received at about 6:54am, around 16 minutes after the fire became visible on CCTV. The response team was dispatched at approximately 6:55am and arrived around 7:01am.
The committee noted that other evidence referred to an earlier call and said it could not yet attribute the apparent notification delay to any particular person or agency.
The inquiry also found serious shortcomings in Pims’ fire-safety and emergency arrangements, including the absence of a properly communicated, trained and rehearsed nursery-specific evacuation plan.
It raised concerns over fire detection and alarm arrangements, emergency exits and evacuation procedures, while noting that fire and life-safety arrangements at the hospital were “inadequate and compromised”.
Moreover, a fire had also broken out at the Pims nursing hostel on July 6, after which recommendations were made for a comprehensive fire-safety audit, improved alarms, evacuation procedures, firefighting equipment, electrical inspections and staff training.
“The available record shows that the earlier inquiry had already identified deficiencies in fire detection, alarm, evacuation preparedness, electrical inspection, security response and record keeping,” it said. However, available records suggested that required corrective measures had not been adequately implemented before the neonatal nursery fire.
The committee identified possible grounds for criminal investigation, including allegedly locked or obstructed emergency exits, failure to act on previously identified fire-safety risks and the apparent gap in emergency notification.
However, it stressed that criminal liability required proof of culpable acts or omissions and that available evidence was not yet sufficient to make final personal attribution.
The report also said the precise source of ignition had not been conclusively established. Possible electrical causes were being examined, but the final technical finding would depend on forensic examination.
Charge Nurse Nasreen and security guard Maria, who were present during the incident, were directed to remain off duty pending further investigation.
Nurse honoured
The prime minister approved the Sitara-i-Khidmat and a cash award of Rs10 million for nurse Razia Noreen, who rescued a child during the fire.
PM Shehbaz praised her courage and sense of duty, saying she had risked her own safety to save the child before the blaze engulfed the ward.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry visited Pims and later met the bereaved families in Rawalpindi. The ministers conveyed the prime minister’s condolences and presented cheques of Rs5m each to two affected families.
Mr Kamal stressed that the financial assistance could not compensate for their loss, describing it as a modest gesture to demonstrate the government’s support and its willingness to share their burden.
Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2026
