Negligence in PIMS nursery fire: Senate panel orders authorities to register FIR

ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Wednesday directed authorities to immediately register an FIR and initiate criminal proceedings over alleged negligence in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) nursery fire, after being informed that no case had yet been registered despite the reported deaths of 14 newborn babies.

The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, expressed serious concern over the delay and also directed authorities to attach the assets of officials held responsible and place the names of suspended officers on the Exit Control List (ECL).

During the meeting, PIMS official Dr Iqbal Durrani informed the committee that no FIR had so far been registered in connection with the incident.

Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan pointed out that the prime minister had ordered the termination of eight employees and registration of criminal cases against those responsible, questioning why the directives had not yet been implemented.

The committee also took up the August 2023 Jaranwala violence and directed authorities to compensate affected Christian families on the basis of their actual losses rather than relying on a uniform assessment.

Officials informed the committee that 389 people had been arrested in connection with the Jaranwala cases and that proceedings in various cases were either under trial or had concluded.

A representative of the Punjab chief secretary told the panel that grievances of affected families would be heard and an assessment committee would evaluate losses in the presence of community representatives. The committee was informed that Rs2 million would be distributed to each family.

However, affected families maintained that the compensation did not reflect the actual damage they had suffered. Senator Zehri directed authorities to take the affected families into confidence and determine compensation according to verified losses, particularly damage to houses.

The committee also reviewed the case of Zeeshan, a sanitary worker associated with a third party who had been serving at the Suthra Punjab office before being dismissed on misconduct grounds. Officials said compensation and a plot had been provided to the deceased worker’s family. The panel sought all relevant documents and directed that his family be invited to its next meeting to present its position.

In another case concerning the target killing of Ahmed Javed, the committee was informed that the main accused had been granted bail by the high court. The victim’s family alleged that the accused attended court proceedings accompanied by 40 to 50 people, creating an atmosphere of intimidation for the complainant and witnesses.

The committee recommended approaching the court to prevent large groups from accompanying accused persons to hearings for the purpose of intimidation.

The panel also raised concerns over child begging in Islamabad, observing that existing facilities were inadequate for the rehabilitation of affected children. Senator Qurat-ul-Ain Marri called for a permanent rehabilitation centre in the federal capital, while Senator Aimal Wali Khan said child begging had evolved into an organised business in several parts of the country.

The committee recommended developing Islamabad as a model for tackling child begging and directed that the existing shelter home should not be vacated until alternative rehabilitation facilities were constructed.

Separately, the CPO Rawalpindi briefed the committee on the Hina Javed case, saying an FIR had been registered against her husband, father-in-law and a servant, while forensic results were awaited. A special investigation team had also been constituted.

The panel was also briefed on the case of Hina Zareef, who, according to officials, had been married against her will in October 2025 and later allegedly killed by her father in an honour-related incident. The committee sought a complete report at its next meeting.

Reviewing the Mir Raza case, the committee was informed that the relevant SHO and DSP had been suspended for negligence, including failure to properly preserve the crime scene. The committee recommended the arrest of the concerned SHO and sought further reports and documents from the relevant departments.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026