IHC Seeks Detailed Report on PIMS Fire Incident

The Islamabad High Court has sought a detailed account of the inquiry into the recent fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, putting renewed focus on hospital safety, administrative responsibility and the enforcement of fire protection rules in the capital.

The matter was heard by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfaraz Dogar while considering separate petitions linked to the incident. The court asked for a copy of the report submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and directed the federal government to explain what steps had been taken so far.

Court asks for the inquiry record

The case has drawn public attention because 14 children died in the PIMS fire. That loss has turned the proceedings into more than a technical administrative matter. Families, lawyers and public-health observers are now watching how responsibility will be established.

During the hearing, questions were raised about the inquiry process and whether it can provide a clear, credible account of what happened. The petitioners' counsel expressed concern about inquiries being handled through government officials and argued that an independent process would carry more public confidence.

The court also examined the legal framework for judicial inquiries and asked what legal basis would support such an order. That line of questioning shows the court is weighing both public concern and procedural limits.

Government says suspensions were made

The federal government told the court that the health secretary was suspended on the day of the incident. Several hospital officials were also suspended after an interim inquiry.

Officials said the report currently available is preliminary and that a comprehensive inquiry report is expected within five days. That final report is expected to clarify the circumstances of the fire, the chain of responsibility and any recommended action.

For now, the government's position is that action has begun but the process is not complete. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has said anyone found responsible for negligence will face action.

PIMS leadership also discussed

The status of the PIMS executive director came under discussion during the proceedings. The official had already been suspended, and Dr Mohammad Salman, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Institutes of Health, had assumed charge as acting executive director.

The court's attention, however, remained on whether responsibility had been formally fixed against the hospital administration. Suspension can be an immediate administrative measure, but it does not by itself answer the deeper question of how the incident happened.

That distinction matters in public safety cases. A hospital fire requires investigators to look at equipment, emergency exits, alarm systems, staff preparedness, maintenance records and compliance history.

Fire safety questions widen

The proceedings have also expanded beyond PIMS. In a separate petition, the court sought responses from federal and civic authorities on the implementation of fire safety requirements in Islamabad.

The petition raised concerns about fire safety certificates, emergency exits, alarms and firefighting equipment in commercial, educational and medical buildings. It also called for enforcement of the Islamabad Fire Prevention and Life Safety Regulations 2010.

That wider focus is significant. If one major public hospital can face such a serious incident, the same weaknesses may exist in other buildings where large numbers of people gather every day.

CDA steps up enforcement

After the PIMS incident, the Capital Development Authority intensified enforcement of fire and life safety rules. Action was taken against several buildings, and fines were imposed on PIMS, Polyclinic and the CDA's Capital Hospital for non-compliance.

Those steps suggest the incident has forced authorities to revisit long-standing safety gaps. Still, enforcement after a tragedy is only one part of the answer.

The harder test is whether inspections become routine, whether building managers are required to fix violations quickly, and whether public institutions are held to the same standards expected from private facilities.

Why the final report matters

The final inquiry report will be important because it should move the issue from general concern to specific findings. It may identify immediate causes, administrative failures and safety systems that did not work as required.

It should also help determine whether the response after the fire was adequate and whether earlier inspections had already flagged risks. Without that level of clarity, public anger can fade without producing lasting reform.

The court's intervention has kept the matter visible. The next stage will show whether the inquiry leads only to temporary suspensions or to stronger safety standards across hospitals and public buildings in Islamabad.