Overview
- A fire in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Mother and Child Hospital nursery on August 26 killed 14 newborns, with rescuers and officials describing a blaze that spread very rapidly.
- An interim inquiry was delivered to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and prompted suspension orders and criminal-action referrals for eight officials plus the removal of the PIMS executive director and appointment of an acting ED.
- Parliamentary standing committees have rejected the interim findings, citing missing nursery CCTV footage, unclear counts of infants present, and disputed explanations about an electrical or AC/compressor fault interacting with oxygen.
- The Islamabad High Court has taken up petitions, sought the report sent to the prime minister, and pressed authorities for detailed technical, biomedical and forensic evidence that has not yet been produced.
- Coverage and experts stress known neonatal fire risks — concentrated oxygen, incubators and immobile patients — and say the incident highlights long‑standing safety lapses such as absent alarms, blocked exits and no regular drills that make independent audits and legal reform urgent.