ISLAMABAD: The federal government has paid Rs5 million [$18,012] each to families of the 14 newborns who were killed in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a minister said this week, vowing that those responsible for the tragedy will not be spared. 

The fire broke out in the third-floor nursery at PIMS, one of Pakistan’s largest public hospitals, on Wednesday at 6:38 a.m. The hospital said 14 newborns were killed as a result, triggering an outbreak of grief and anger among the nation. 

Speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry had announced that compensation of Rs5 million each will be paid to affected families. 

“Today we visited the homes of the parents of the innocent children who lost their lives in this tragedy and presented them with relief cheques of Rs5 million each,” Chaudhry wrote on social media platform X on Friday. 

The minister clarified that no amount of financial assistance can ever compensate for the loss suffered by the families.

“This is merely a humble effort on the part of the government to extend some support to the grieving families,” he added. 

INQUIRIES, ACCOUNTABILITY

Multiple government committees are examining the cause of the fire and fire-safety measures, staffing and emergency response. 

A fire incident report issued by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) this week found that the fire and life-safety arrangements at the hospital were not adequate. The CDA report stated that emergency exits were locked or obstructed. 

PIMS has disputed the finding on exits, saying they were open and operational.

A high-level committee constituted by the prime minister was expected to release its findings on Friday evening but the report was not issued. 

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal warned on Friday that anyone found guilty of negligence will not be spared. 

“Those found responsible for negligence in the PIMS fire tragedy will not be spared at all,” Kamal said during a session of the Senate on Friday. 

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, with Kamal linking it initially to an electric spark from an air conditioner. However, a parliamentary health committee later questioned that account, saying the unit identified as a possible source was not working. 

The CDA fire report listed an “electric short circuit / plug overload.” The report also records the first emergency call at 6:54 a.m., 16 minutes after PIMS says the fire began, with first responders arriving at 7:01 a.m. It does not explain the interval.

The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of fire safety in the Pakistani capital, where a 2026 CDA survey of 6,500 public and private buildings found most lacked approved fire-safety plans or required completion and fire-safety certificates.