Table of Contents
The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Health Services announced Thursday it would conduct an independent investigation into the fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) that claimed the lives of 14 newborn babies . Committee Chairman Mahesh Kumar Malani said the panel would not rely solely on the government inquiry and would examine the incident on merit, including information from political leaders and other sources .
Conflicting Accounts Raise Questions
Malani told reporters conflicting accounts about the blaze had raised “serious questions” over its cause, fire safety arrangements, and emergency response . Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had earlier attributed the incident to a spark in an air conditioner, but the committee received differing versions. “No one saw where the spark came from,” Malani said, adding that some hospital staff indicated the spark may have originated from an electrical fault or oxygen-related issue .
Concerns Over Ward Condition and Staff Presence
The committee also questioned why newborns were being treated in an outdated 1990-era building when a newly constructed block was available on the PIMS premises. “The nursery was not fit for the babies,” Malani said . Committee member Aliya Kamran alleged the infants had been left unattended when the fire erupted and called for the health minister to resign . PPP MNA Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro also demanded the PIMS executive director and health minister step down on moral grounds .
Government Inquiry Underway
The parliamentary probe is separate from an inquiry ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has suspended Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghori and formed a high-level committee headed by former interior secretary Shahid Khan . The government inquiry will examine the cause of the fire, emergency response, and recommend reforms to prevent future incidents .
