Islamabad: The National Assembly today passed a resolution expressing its profound grief and sorrow over the tragic loss of innocent infants' lives in the recent fire incident at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad.
According to Radio Pakistan, the resolution, moved by Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Barrister Danyal Chaudhry, strongly condemned the incident and expressed grave concern over the sheer negligence resulting in the loss of precious lives. It called upon the government to take strict action against anyone responsible for the negligence or safety lapses in accordance with the law.
The resolution urged the government to ensure strict implementation of fire safety and emergency preparedness measures in federal government hospitals, particularly in neonatal and pediatric units, to prevent the recurrence of such tragic incidents in the future. It also extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that an interim report of the committee, constituted by the Prime Minister to probe into the fire tragedy at PIMS, would be presented by this evening. The content of the interim report would be shared, and a detailed report on the incident would be submitted by the committee, headed by former Interior Secretary Shahid Khan, within seven days.
The Law Minister further mentioned that another committee has been formed to propose measures for the revamping and improvement of PIMS, which would also submit its recommendations in seven days. Azam Nazeer Tarar expressed that the fire incident at PIMS has deeply saddened the entire nation, describing it as a major tragedy.
Taking the floor, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif emphasized the need for accountability and urged that those responsible for negligence in the PIMS fire tragedy must be held accountable. He called for swift action and stressed that the accountability process should be completed without any delay.
Later, the Law Minister moved a motion authorizing the Speaker to constitute a special committee, in consultation with the Chairman Senate, to not only investigate the PIMS fire incident but also formulate recommendations to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future. The House has now been prorogued.
