Pakistan Prime Minister suspends eight officials after hospital fire kills 14 newborns

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Saturday that eight officials at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad have been suspended and that criminal cases will be filed against those deemed responsible for a fire that killed 14 newborns. The decision follows an interim report presented by an investigative committee chaired by retired civil servant Shahid Khan.

The blaze, which broke out in a third-floor nursery, spread rapidly, allowing staff to rescue only one of the 15 infants present. The inquiry found the ward lacked a fire alarm and sprinkler system, and the hospital had insufficient emergency procedures and training. Supervisory staff were absent when the fire started, and emergency services were not called until six minutes later, arriving 15 minutes after the call.

The eight suspended individuals include PIMS’s executive director, two joint executive directors, the head of the neonatal department, two doctors, the assistant director for security, and the head of the Capital Development Authority’s emergency services. Action was also approved against the private security firm contracted by the hospital.

"Those guilty of criminal negligence deserve no leniency," Sharif said.

The government has announced compensation of 5 million rupees for each affected family and approved a state award for a nurse who risked her life to save a baby during the incident. The tragedy has spurred broader reviews of fire-safety protocols in hospitals nationwide, with Punjab province ordering an immediate audit of safety systems and emergency response capabilities.