Questions have emerged over the Executive Director (ED) of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), with journalist Hamid Mir saying that Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has informed Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif about who allegedly told him not to take action against the ED.
Television host Mehr Bukhari asked Mir about the position of the PIMS Executive Director. “What is the secret behind this ED? According to our informed sources, his directorship as ED is confirmed until 2030.”
Responding to the question, Hamid Mir said that Mustafa Kamal had conveyed the matter to the prime minister, “Look, Mustafa Kamal has conveyed this to the Prime Minister,” Mir said.
He clarified that Kamal had not told him about it directly and that he had received the information from his sources. According to Mir, Mustafa Kamal told the prime minister that when he took oath as health minister, he received instructions not to take action against the Executive Director of PIMS.
“Sir, on the day I took oath as Health Minister, before I had even arrived at the office, I was told that I must not look towards the Executive Director of PIMS and that I am not authorized to take any action against him,” Mir quoted Kamal as saying.
Mir said that Kamal remained silent about the matter for around one and a half to two years.
He added that the matter came up after Kamal faced questions over the performance of the Health Ministry and the removal of the Health Secretary.
According to Mir, the health secretary had been brought in by Kamal, who had said that he appointed him to improve the ministry’s performance. The prime minister later removed the health secretary from the post.
Mir further said that his sources had told him that Kamal had informed the prime minister about the person who allegedly instructed him not to take action against the ED.
“Now, the test lies with the Prime Minister: whether he can take action against the Executive Director or not,” Mir stated.
The discussion comes after questions surrounding Kamal’s position as health minister following the fire at the Mother and Child Healthcare Centre at PIMS, which killed 14 newborns.
Kamal had earlier addressed questions about whether he could resign over the incident, saying he had already presented himself before the prime minister for accountability. He said that the prime minister was his boss and that he would accept whatever decision the prime minister made.
During a Senate session on Friday, Kamal also said the country’s health sector needed immediate structural reform. Speaking on behalf of the prime minister and the federal government, he assured the House that none of the people responsible for negligence would be protected from accountability.
