Pims fire: PM Shehbaz orders suspension, criminal action against 8 officials as inquiry panel submits interim report

On Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the suspension and possible criminal prosecution of eight officials, including the executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), in relation to a fire at the hospital that killed 14 infants. The decision was based on recommendations from an inquiry committee's interim report presented during a high-level meeting in Lahore.

The eight individuals targeted were Dr Rana Imran Sikander, Dr Mutahir Shah, Dr Chaudhry Awais Ali Shah, Prof Dr Sadia Riaz, Dr Nagham, Dr Naushila Amjad, Mohammad Usman, and Dr Abdulrehman. The PM also appointed the CEO of the National Institutes of Health, Dr Mohammad Salman, as the acting executive director of Pims and directed the immediate release of the inquiry committee's preliminary report.

Prime Minister Shehbaz also awarded nurse Razia Noreen the Sitara-i-Khidmat for saving a child and provided Rs1 million for her efforts. The fire at Pims claimed the lives of 15 newborn babies, with one survivor. The premier expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and vowed to implement the committee's recommendations and orders.