PIMS Forms Parallel Inquiry Panel Despite PM’s High-Level Probe

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has reconstituted its own four-member inquiry committee to investigate the August 26 incident at the Mother and Child Health (MCH) nursery, even as a separate high-level committee constituted on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is already investigating the tragedy.

PIMS Reconstitutes Four-Member Committee

According to a PIMS notification dated August 27, seen by Islamabad Tribune, the hospital administration reconstituted an earlier committee because Prof Dr Qasim Mehmood Buttar, Professor of Oncology, was unavailable due to leave.

The new committee is headed by Prof Dr Atif Inam Shami, Professor of General Surgery. Prof Dr Altaf Hussain, Professor of ENT, and Prof Dr Sajid Rafique Abbasi, Professor of Nephrology, have been appointed members, while PIMS Deputy Executive Director Dr Aneza Jalil will serve as secretary.

Questions Over Committee’s Technical Expertise

The composition has prompted questions because the notification assigns the panel responsibilities that include determining the exact cause of the incident, assessing the adequacy and functionality of fire-safety measures, and evaluating the response and effectiveness of rescue and firefighting operations.

However, none of the four officials identified in the notification is designated as a fire-safety, electrical, mechanical, biomedical engineering or emergency-response specialist.

The committee has been directed to investigate the matter in detail, fix responsibility and submit its report with recommendations to the Executive Director of PIMS within 48 hours.

Questions Raised Over Committee Secretary

Questions are also being raised over the presence of Deputy Executive Director Dr Aneza Jalil on the hospital’s internal committee. The notification itself bears her signature and identifies her as the committee secretary.

Sources have claimed that she has also recorded a statement before the separate high-level inquiry constituted on the Prime Minister’s directions. Islamabad Tribune has not independently verified claims regarding her statement or allegations concerning personal relationships between committee members and senior PIMS management.

Separate Prime Minister-Ordered Investigation

The PIMS internal inquiry is separate from the high-level investigation ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The federal committee is headed by former federal secretary Shahid Khan and includes Maj Gen (R) Dr Khurshid Utra, Dr Barrister Nabeel Ahmed Awan and the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad. Its mandate includes examining the cause and timeline, emergency response, fire-safety infrastructure, compliance with regulations and responsibility for any negligence.

ICT Fact-Finding Committee Also Involved

Separately, the Islamabad Capital Territory administration had also constituted a fact-finding committee involving officials from Capital Emergency Services, Islamabad Police, CDA’s Engineering and Mechanical Wing, IESCO and PIMS — bringing technical and emergency-response representation into that investigation.

The PIMS notification confirming the reconstitution of the four-member internal committee has also been reported independently by other media outlets.

Multiple Probes Could Face Scrutiny

The development is likely to intensify scrutiny over why a separate hospital-level inquiry was considered necessary, how its findings will interact with the Prime Minister-ordered investigation, and whether its membership provides sufficient technical expertise to reach conclusions on fire safety and the precise cause of the incident.

The Prime Minister’s committee is expected to submit urgent recommendations within 48 hours and a comprehensive report within five days. Investigators visited PIMS on Thursday as part of the ongoing probe.