ISLAMABAD: An inquiry committee set up by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to probe a deadly fire that killed 14 newborns at the capital’s largest public-sector hospital submitted its report to the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday, a senior government official with direct knowledge of the matter told Arab News.
The official said the report recommended several punitive measures, including the removal of key officials, most notably the Executive Director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Dr. Rana Imran Sikandar.
The fire broke out on Wednesday in a third-floor nursery at PIMS. One baby was rescued from the nursery and four others from an adjacent room.
Sharif constituted a high-level inquiry committee headed by former interior secretary Shahid Khan to investigate the cause of the disaster, along with existing fire-safety measures, staffing levels and the hospital’s emergency response.
“The report has been received by the Prime Minister’s Office,” an official confirmed, adding that the findings would be reviewed on Saturday evening during a meeting in Lahore chaired by the prime minister and attended by committee members.
While the exact findings have not yet been made public, Arab News has learned that the panel recommended dismissing the PIMS executive director and several other hospital officials.
“Yes, his removal is on the cards,” a top health ministry official told Arab News when asked if Dr. Sikandar was facing termination. “We will spare no one.”
Dr. Sikandar refused to resign in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy and declined to comment on reports of his impending dismissal.
He was also seen signing dozens of administrative files on Saturday, and PIMS directed its administrative staff to report for duty on Sunday in anticipation of key decisions from the prime minister.
A committee member said that the report also highlights the bravery of specific staff members who managed to rescue a child during the blaze.
“Staff nurse Razia performed a heroic act by saving a child from the burning nursery amid all the chaos. The committee has formally acknowledged her bravery,” an official stated.
A separate incident report prepared by Islamabad’s Capital Development Authority (CDA) shortly after the fire concluded that emergency escape routes were locked or obstructed and described life-safety arrangements as entirely inadequate. PIMS has disputed these findings, maintaining that all exits were open and operational.
Following the tragedy, Prime Minister Sharif announced compensation of Rs5 million ($18,012) for each of the grieving families.
Speaking to the media outside PIMS on Saturday, federal health minister Mustafa Kamal refused to share details of the report.
Asked when the inquiry report would be made public and whether action was being taken against the executive director, he replied simply: “The report will come out, everyone will know.”
Despite the tight-lipped response regarding specific personnel, the country’s parliamentary affairs minister, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, emphasized that accountability was imminent.
“We should wait for the report, which will be released today, and responsibility will be fixed,” he said. “Those who have committed criminal negligence will also be dealt with.”
