Islamabad, August 28, 2026: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Friday accepted responsibility for the deaths of 14 newborns in the devastating fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), vowing that no one found responsible for negligence would be spared and insisting that the “matter will not die down” under any circumstances.
Addressing the Senate, Kamal said he considered himself responsible as the federal health minister and had already presented himself for accountability over Wednesday’s tragedy at the PIMS Mother and Child Hospital.
“I am the health minister. I consider myself responsible for the tragedy. I presented myself for accountability,” Kamal said, while urging lawmakers and the public to await the findings of the ongoing investigation before reaching conclusions about responsibility.
The minister said an inquiry committee had been constituted and was expected to submit its report on Friday night. He stressed that any decision regarding responsibility must be based on evidence, including digital evidence, videos and statements recorded from eyewitnesses and the families affected by the tragedy.
“The decision of the investigation should be based on evidence,” he said.
Kamal said all relevant institutions had been directed to cooperate with the investigation and reiterated his commitment to taking action against anyone found responsible.
“Whoever is found negligent will not be spared. Not a single individual will be spared in the investigation,” he told the upper house.
Kamal also called for the formation of a committee comprising opposition lawmakers to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire, saying Parliament should have a role in ensuring transparency and accountability.
He proposed that either a Senate committee or a joint committee comprising members of both the National Assembly and Senate could investigate the tragedy and review the findings of the official inquiry.
The minister said the Ministry of Health was prepared to provide the investigation committee with all information and records available to it.
He also acknowledged wider problems within the country’s healthcare system, describing it as “rotten” and questioning whether simply removing an official would necessarily solve institutional shortcomings.
“Where do I find a better person after removing an incompetent one?” Kamal asked.
The minister further highlighted the broader challenges facing child healthcare in Pakistan, citing the high number of child deaths across the country and stressing the need to address systemic weaknesses rather than treating the PIMS incident in isolation.
He said detailed information was also being collected from the families affected by the fire to assist investigators in establishing what happened inside the hospital.
Responding to demands for his resignation, Kamal said he did not want to comment on the matter until the investigation had been completed.
“Let the investigation be completed. I have already taken action beyond what they are thinking,” he said.
The minister reiterated that those responsible would face consequences and that the tragedy would not be allowed to fade from public attention.
The fire at the PIMS Mother and Child Hospital on Wednesday claimed the lives of 14 newborns, triggering widespread grief and raising serious questions over fire-safety arrangements, emergency preparedness, hospital administration and the response to the blaze.
Separately, both the National Assembly and Senate on Friday approved motions for the formation of special parliamentary committees to examine matters relating to the PIMS tragedy.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar moved the motion in the National Assembly, while Senator Sherry Rehman moved a similar motion in the Senate.
The Senate authorised Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani to constitute the special committee, while the National Assembly empowered Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to form its committee.
The two parliamentary leaders will consult each other over the composition of the special committee, while also determining its terms of reference and membership.
The committee will examine the circumstances surrounding the PIMS fire and related issues, potentially adding a parliamentary layer of scrutiny to the ongoing government investigation.
The government had announced a compensation package of Rs5 million for the family of each newborn who died in the fire.
In its statement, the government acknowledged that financial compensation could never replace the loss of a child but said the assistance was intended to help ease the hardships faced by the bereaved families.
The tragedy has prompted demands from lawmakers, civil society groups and medical organisations for a transparent investigation, strict accountability and a comprehensive review of fire-safety standards and emergency response systems in hospitals across the country.
The government has maintained that the investigation will determine the exact cause of the fire, establish whether safety protocols were violated and identify those responsible for any negligence or administrative failure.
