ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the immediate suspension and removal of Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghouri following the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), as the government moves to investigate the cause of the blaze, fire-safety arrangements and the response to the emergency.
The prime minister took the decision during a high-level meeting convened to review the deaths of newborns in the PIMS nursery. He expressed strong displeasure over the incident and ordered a high-level inquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and fix responsibility.
Former Interior Secretary Shahid Khan was appointed chairman of the inquiry committee, while Establishment Secretary Dr Barrister Nabeel Awan is among its other members.
The government action comes amid questions over what happened inside the nursery during the early-morning fire, including the condition of fire-safety facilities and how quickly emergency assistance reached the affected ward.
Rescue sources raise questions over fire safety
Rescue sources have alleged that fire-safety arrangements at PIMS were inadequate at the time of the incident.
According to the sources, fire hoses did not have couplings, there was no water available at the fire point and emergency evacuation routes were locked.
The sources also claimed that no doctors, ward boys or other staff were present inside the incubation centre when the fire broke out.
These claims are yet to be established through an official investigation.
The allegations have gained significance as authorities separately examine the hospital’s emergency preparedness and the circumstances in which newborns were trapped inside the nursery.
Conflicting accounts over fire brigade response
There are also conflicting accounts about how quickly the fire brigade reached PIMS after the blaze was reported.
According to the Capital Emergency Service and CDA Fire Department, the fire call was received at 6:54am and fire and rescue teams reached the hospital within seven minutes. Six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances were deployed, and the fire was subsequently brought under control.
However, according to information received by Medical News Pakistan from sources familiar with the incident, the fire brigade reportedly reached the site 20 to 25 minutes after the fire started.
The sources also said no hospital staff were present at the time of the incident.
The conflicting accounts have not yet been reconciled. The actual response time and the presence or absence of hospital staff are among the issues that will need to be established through the investigations now under way.
Islamabad administration forms seven-member fact-finding committee
Separately from the high-level inquiry ordered by the prime minister, the Office of the District Magistrate, Islamabad Capital Territory, has constituted a seven-member fact-finding committee to establish the facts surrounding the fire at the nursery of the Mother and Child Health Ward at PIMS.
The notification, dated August 26, 2026, names the Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), ICT as convener. Other members include the Director General, Capital Emergency Services, CDA Islamabad; Superintendent of Police (City), Islamabad; Assistant Commissioner (Industrial Area), Islamabad; Director General E&M, CDA Islamabad; a representative of IESCO; and a representative of PIMS. The committee may also co-opt another member if required.
The committee has been tasked with determining the exact cause of the fire, assessing whether adequate and functional fire-safety measures were in place, and evaluating the response time and effectiveness of rescue and firefighting operations.
It has also been authorised to examine any other matter considered relevant to the incident.
The district administration has directed the committee to submit its report within 24 hours.
Fire cause remains disputed
The exact cause of the fire has yet to be conclusively established.
Rescue sources said the blaze started at about 6:45am after an air-conditioning compressor exploded.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal also said an air-conditioning unit allegedly exploded in the intensive care ward and that the presence of oxygen intensified the fire.
PIMS officials had earlier indicated that the fire appeared to have been caused by a short circuit. Federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhary likewise said initial reports pointed towards a short circuit, while stressing that the exact cause still needed to be established.
The Islamabad administration’s fact-finding committee has specifically been tasked with determining the exact cause of the fire.
Newborn death toll remains subject to verification
The casualty figure has also been reported differently during the developing tragedy.
Earlier PIMS and rescue accounts put the death toll at 15 newborns, with reports stating that 16 babies were present in the nursery and one was rescued.
Subsequent official government statements cited 14 newborn deaths. Radio Pakistan and the Associated Press of Pakistan reported 14 fatalities, while the district administration said the exact number of casualties and injuries was being verified in coordination with the hospital, police and rescue teams.
The final casualty figure therefore remains subject to official verification.
What happened during the fire
The fire broke out early Wednesday in the nursery of the Mother and Child Health Ward at PIMS.
According to the Capital Emergency Service and CDA Fire Department, the fire call was received at 6:54am, followed by the arrival of fire and rescue teams within seven minutes. Six fire brigade units and four ambulances took part in the operation before the fire was brought under control and cooling and assessment operations began.
The account provided to Medical News Pakistan by sources familiar with the incident, however, places the arrival of the fire brigade 20 to 25 minutes after the fire started.
Earlier accounts said the nursery contained newborns requiring specialised care. One baby was reported to have been rescued by a doctor, while the earlier rescue account said the remaining 15 newborns died.
The investigation will now have to establish the precise sequence of events, including when the fire started, when it was reported, when emergency teams arrived, whether hospital staff were present and whether fire-safety and evacuation arrangements were functional.
Government moves to establish responsibility
The removal of Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghouri is the most significant administrative action announced following the tragedy.
The prime minister has also ordered the high-level inquiry to determine what led to the deaths and fix responsibility. Separately, the Islamabad administration’s seven-member committee has been given a 24-hour deadline to examine the cause of the fire, the adequacy of fire-safety arrangements and the effectiveness and response time of rescue and firefighting operations.
With official accounts differing on the fire brigade’s arrival time, the presence of hospital staff, the cause of the fire and the number of newborn deaths, the findings of the two investigations will be critical in establishing what actually happened inside the PIMS nursery.
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