PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi on Thursday expressed deep grief over the deaths of newborn babies in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, and suggested that a similar incident could potentially have been used as a trap to target Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
In a statement, Afridi said the newborns who died at PIMS had neither participated in protests nor been involved in any conflict or political gathering.
“These children could not even speak for themselves. There must have been negligence on someone’s part,” he said, calling for a complete and impartial investigation into the incident.
Referring to Imran Khan’s recent checkup to PIMS, the chief minister said, “Imran Khan was also brought to the same hospital a few days ago. Perhaps a trap had been laid for him as well, and they may have intended to kill him under the guise of an accident. Allah knows best.”
“They can do anything and make any excuse,” Afridi added.
The chief minister said the deaths of the innocent newborns were a heartbreaking tragedy and an irreparable loss. He expressed solidarity with the affected families and prayed for patience for the parents and relatives of the deceased.
Afridi called for a thorough and impartial investigation to determine the cause of the fire and identify those responsible if negligence or misconduct was established.
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In response to the incident, the chief minister directed the provincial Health Department to conduct a comprehensive review of safety arrangements at all hospitals across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He ordered authorities to reassess existing arrangements and standard operating procedures for dealing with fires, accidents and other emergencies at hospitals.
The chief minister also directed officials to identify and immediately address weaknesses and deficiencies in hospital safety systems.
He instructed that hospital staff be provided regular training and practical drills to ensure an effective response to emergencies.
The Health Department was further directed to complete fire-safety inspections of all government hospitals and submit a comprehensive report to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
“Any negligence or lapse in hospital safety arrangements will not be tolerated,” Afridi said.
