Mustafa Kamal resigned after Pims fire but PM declined to accept it: Report

Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shortly after the Pims fire that killed 14 newborns, but the premier did not accept it, a media report said on Monday, citing sources.

It said Kamal sent his written resignation to the Prime Minister’s Office within hours of the Aug 26 tragedy at the Mother & Child Health Centre of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

However, PM Shehbaz asked the minister to remain in office until the inquiry into the incident was completed and responsibility for the deaths was determined. Kamal was also advised not to make his resignation public while the investigation was in progress, the sources said.

The development comes as the government has taken action against senior officials following the tragedy. Federal Health Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri was removed from his post, while Kamal retained his portfolio.

The health minister later appeared before parliament and the media, where he repeatedly called for accountability over the deaths and said those found responsible would not be spared.

The inquiry committee is tasked with determining how the fire started, identifying lapses and fixing responsibility for the deaths of the 14 infants.