Inquiry findings will provide clarity on circumstances of Pims fire, says health minister

Inquiry findings will provide clarity on circumstances of Pims fire, notes health minister.

Key points

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a high-level inquiry committee to probe the incident and removed federal Health Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri.
• On Wednesday, 14 babies were killed after a fire erupted at the Mother and Child Healthcare Centre at Pims.
• He created the remarks while speaking to the media after visiting the children's ward at Pims alongside Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.
• Kamal remarked the administration was awaiting the report of the inquiry committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to determine responsibility for the deadly fire.
• Afterwards, they visited an affected family at their home in Rawalpindi, where Kamal presented cheques worth Rs5 million to the two families on behalf of the administration.

Inquiry findings will provide clarity on circumstances of Pims fire, notes health minister. APP Published August 29, 2026 Updated August 29, 2026 07: 20pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal remarked on Saturday that the facts and findings of an inquiry committee formed on the prime minister's orders would assist clarify the circumstances surrounding the fire at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) that asserted the lives of 14 infants.

During the visit, the ministers met the families who lost their children in the tragedy. While additionally expressing their own heartfelt condolences and deep sorrow over the loss, kamal and Chaudhry conveyed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families.

"This is an extremely tragic and heartbreaking incident that cannot be adequately expressed in words, " Kamal remarked.

"We have come to share the pain and grief of the affected mothers and stand by them in this difficult time, " he remarked.

"The pain of a mother losing her child is a tragedy beyond words. There is no substitute for precious human lives, and the children who lost their lives cannot be brought back, " Kamal continued.

He remarked the administration and the entire nation stood with the affected families and shared their grief during the tough time.

During their visit to Pims, the ministers reviewed the facilities and arrangements at the children's ward and received a briefing from the hospital administration on the healthcare services being provided to patients.

"Let us wait for the report of the prime minister's inquiry committee, " he remarked, adding that its findings would assist clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.

In practice, the ministers additionally reviewed the overall situation at the hospital and discussed measures to improve patient care and hospital management.

"This financial assistance can in no way compensate for their loss, " he remarked, adding that it was only a gesture by the administration to stand by the families and share in their responsibility.

Kamal remarked a complete and impartial investigation into the incident was under way.

"Strict action will be taken against those found responsible for this tragic incident, " he continued. 'There is only one committee'.

Kamal, speaking during on Geo News on Friday, rejected reports that three inquiry committees had been formed to investigate the fire at Pims, saying there was only one committee constituted by the prime minister. "There is only one committee formed by PM Shehbaz, " he remarked.

He remarked Shahid Khan was heading the committee investigating the incident. "It has been 24 hours; another 24 hours are left. They have to submit their report by tomorrow evening, " he remarked.

For context, the health minister continued that the inquiry report would be submitted to the prime minister. This person had constituted the committee and enjoyed the government's full trust.

"Whatever its recommendations are, they must be implemented. Other than that, the entire exercise is useless, " he remarked.

"We will leave no stone unturned in implementing this committee's recommendations and orders – whether an ED is named or anyone else, " he continued.

Asked whether he had submitted his handwritten resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz and whether the premier had refused to accept it, Kamal replied: "If you know this much, why are you asking me?" Deadly fire at Pims.

According to a Pims statement, the incident was "initially caused by a spark inside the nursery at 06: 38am", and within seconds a massive fire erupted due to oxygen points at each incubator. It remarked two doctors and two nurses on duty responded immediately and called security staff. This person tried twice to enter the nursery before a blast occurred and the ceilings collapsed.

While some alleged that doors were locked, but, witnesses remarked they waited hours for emergency services and were forced to smash windows to reach the affected ward.

Notably, the hospital and administration afterwards disputed claims of delays and locked emergency exits.

Speaking in the Senate on Friday, Kamal remarked the tragedy could not become an "episode lasting merely a few days" and backed a parliamentary probe into the incident. He pressed a wider investigation, saying it would expose a larger "rot" in the health sector.

Calling the health system "rotten", Kamal remarked the Pims deaths should become a basis for reforms to prevent similar tragedies. Responding to calls for his resignation, he remarked, "Let the investigation be completed. I have already taken action beyond what they are thinking."

While the National Assembly additionally called on an impartial inquiry and strict action over negligence or safety lapses, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution seeking a special committee to investigate the fire. The administration has confirmed Rs5 million compensation for each affected family.

For context, the tragedy has since sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability, with the National Assembly's Standing Committee on National Health Services additionally demanding answers from the Pims administration over feasible negligence and safety lapses.

In short, inquiry findings will provide clarity on circumstances of Pims fire, says health is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.