Eight PIMS officials suspended after fatal Islamabad hospital fire

Scope of the suspensions

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered a high-level probe into the incident and directed authorities to identify those responsible for any negligence. Officials in his office said the inquiry would examine compliance with fire safety protocols, the maintenance of emergency exits, and the readiness of staff to evacuate patients.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as smoke filled parts of the hospital, prompting families of patients to rush in and help carry stretchers out of wards. Emergency services from the Capital Development Authority responded, and additional medical teams were sent from hospitals in Lahore and other cities to assist with survivors.

Eyewitness accounts and emergency response

The neonatal department, where the fire's impact was most severe, has become a focal point of the investigation. Officials are reviewing whether fire alarms and sprinkler systems in that section were functional, and whether staff had received updated evacuation training. The hospital's assistant director for security was suspended specifically over questions about access control and the operation of fire doors.

Civil society groups and medical associations have called for a broader audit of fire safety standards at public hospitals across Pakistan. Health workers' representatives said staff had previously raised concerns about overcrowding and the condition of electrical wiring in older sections of PIMS, warnings they said went unaddressed.

Calls for a wider safety audit

Families of the victims have demanded compensation and a public accounting of the dead and injured. The Health Ministry said it would publish a consolidated list once the hospital and the Capital Development Authority confirm the final figures, and that an initial relief payment had been approved for next of kin.

Opposition politicians criticised the response as too slow and pointed to previous fires at medical facilities in Islamabad as evidence of systemic neglect. They urged the inquiry to be conducted by a sitting judge rather than by the executive, so that the findings carry legal weight and the report is made public.

Political reaction and demands for accountability

The hospital remained partially operational on Saturday, with outpatient clinics closed and elective surgeries postponed. Critical patients were transferred to other facilities in Islamabad, including military-run hospitals, while the damaged sections of PIMS were sealed off for forensic examination.

A senior Health Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the inquiry is continuing, said the suspensions were a first step and that further action, including possible criminal charges, would be decided once investigators submit their report. "No one will be shielded," the official said, "and if negligence is established, those responsible will face the full force of the law."

Hospital status and next steps

The Capital Development Authority's emergency services chief, who was among those suspended, oversaw the coordination of rescue teams that arrived at the scene. The Health Ministry said it had also asked the authority to conduct a separate review of its response times and the adequacy of firefighting equipment available to hospitals in the federal capital.