Pakistani celebrities have expressed grief and anger after a deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad killed 14 newborn babies.
Veteran actor Muhammad Ahmed shared a video message on Instagram, questioning why those responsible for previous incidents had not been held accountable.
“15 children and several before,” he wrote, referring to the latest tragedy and previous incidents involving children.
“We hear news about children regularly. We will forget these 15 also, as earlier,” he added.
Muhammad Ahmed questioned why those responsible for such incidents had not faced punishment and expressed grief for the mothers who lost their newborn children.
Actor Azekah Deniel also criticised what she described as an “incompetent system” following the deaths. She said the value of life in the country often comes down to public condemnation for a week or two before people move on to the next tragedy or breaking news.
Zara Noor Abbas also addressed the incident in a video story. She said repeated tragedies were “forcing us to take things and law and order into our hands” because, according to her, people responsible were not being properly questioned or held accountable.
Zunaira Inam Khan expressed grief, strongly criticising the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“This is not a terrible accident; it is a result of criminal negligence and mismanagement,” she stated.
Sabeena Farooq also took to social media to ask about the infants, writing, “Where are the babies? #PIMS”.
Actors Ahsan Khan and Nadia Afghan reshared a video showing a mother caring for her child and urged authorities to hand over the remains of the babies to their families.
Romaisa Khan also expressed their grief over the deaths.
“14 newborn babies in Islamabad. These are not headlines. These were lives,” she wrote.
Veteran actor Rubina Ashraf described the incident as a “BLACK DAY” in the history of the country and blamed negligence for the deaths.
“A BLACK DAY in the history of our country … 14 newborns burnt to death !!! This is nothing but sheer negligence,” she wrote.
Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar called for a strict investigation.
“I am in severe pain hearing about the incident of 15 infants burning to death at PIMS hospital. It should be strictly investigated to ensure no such thing happens again,” he wrote.
“My heart goes out to all the parents who have lost their newborns so painfully,” he added.
Journalist Hamid Mir criticised government officials over their statements about PIMS before the fire.
He wrote, “It is unfortunate that federal ministers had been praising PIMS for several days, and today a fire broke out at PIMS that claimed the lives of 15 newborn babies. May Allah give patience to the parents of these children and guide the rulers whose false statements have become a spectacle.”
According to the hospital administration’s preliminary report, a nebuliser placed near an incubator in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) reportedly burst, triggering a fire in the oxygen supply area.
The report stated that the fire generated smoke, which entered the infants’ respiratory systems through the oxygen piping. It added that the newborns died from burns and a disruption to their oxygen supply.
The tragedy ranks among the deadliest hospital fires in Pakistan in recent years.
Located in the heart of Islamabad, PIMS is one of the capital’s largest and busiest public hospitals, serving a population of around 1.1 million people.
