PIMS Incident Reaches IHC as Judicial Probe Sought
Petitioner asks Islamabad High Court to constitute a commission headed by an IHC or West Sessions Court judge, order forensic examination of the August 26 incident and conduct a comprehensive audit of PIMS’ fire-alarm system.
ISLAMABAD: A petition has been filed before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking the constitution of a judicial commission to investigate the August 26 tragedy at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), bringing the incident under judicial scrutiny a day after the deadly nursery fire.
Petition Seeks Judicial Commission
Advocate Qasim Iqbal Jalali filed the petition in his personal capacity, requesting the court to constitute a judicial commission comprising a judge of the Islamabad High Court or a sessions judge from Islamabad West.
According to the petition, the commission should conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the August 26 incident at PIMS. The petitioner has also sought directions for a forensic examination to establish the facts and circumstances that led to the incident.
Fire-Safety System Audit Sought
Another key request concerns the hospital’s fire-safety infrastructure. The petitioner has asked the court to order a comprehensive audit of the fire-alarm system installed at PIMS, potentially examining whether the system was operational and adequate at the time of the incident.
The petition has named the Federation of Pakistan, federal interior secretary, federal health secretary, Islamabad chief commissioner and inspector general of Islamabad Police as respondents.
Multiple Investigations Already Underway
The legal development comes as multiple official investigations into the PIMS incident are already underway. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level inquiry committee headed by former federal secretary Shahid Khan.
Its mandate includes establishing the cause and timeline of the incident, examining emergency and rescue operations, reviewing PIMS’ fire-safety infrastructure and determining responsibility for any negligence.
Separately, the Islamabad Capital Territory administration constituted an eight-member fact-finding committee tasked with examining the cause of the incident, fire-safety arrangements and the effectiveness of the emergency response.
14 Newborns Died in PIMS Fire
The August 26 incident at PIMS’ Mother and Child Health facility resulted in the deaths of 14 newborns, according to official and multiple media reports, triggering scrutiny of safety and emergency preparedness at one of Islamabad’s major public hospitals.
Petition Does Not Yet Establish Judicial Commission
The filing of the petition does not mean that a judicial commission has been constituted. Any such commission would depend on subsequent proceedings and orders of the Islamabad High Court.
