ISLAMABAD: Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told the National Assembly on Friday that an inquiry committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to investigate the PIMS tragedy was expected to submit its initial report by this evening.
Fourteen infants were killed on Wednesday morning in a fire at the gynaecology ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad’s premier public hospital.
Speaking during the National Assembly session, the law minister said the committee’s detailed report would be presented within seven days.
He said the government had also constituted another committee to formulate recommendations for future measures at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
The second committee would propose steps aimed at preventing similar incidents and improving arrangements at the hospital, the minister added.
Read more: PIMS fire: Govt announces Rs5 mln compensation for families
Azam Nazeer Tarar urged lawmakers to focus on constructive recommendations rather than political debate, saying practical suggestions were needed to help prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
Earlier, victims of the PIMS hospital fire spoke to the media and demanded a judicial commission to investigate the incident.
According to sources, the affected families said DNA tests of the children who died in the fire were not conducted.
They said that if such a tragedy had occurred in another country, the entire system would have been shaken.
The victims said those who cannot handle their ministries should step down. The affected parents said the real issue is that the government has formed a committee to investigate the PIMS incident.
They said bureaucrats are appointed to inquiry committees after every tragedy, but no one is ready to accept the committee formed for the PIMS incident.
The affected parents demanded that a judicial commission should be formed to investigate the PIMS tragedy.
