LAHORE MIRROR — The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has rejected the Sindh government’s demand for the resignation of Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal following the deaths of 14 newborn babies in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
MQM-P Sindh Assembly member Engineer Syed Muhammad Usman said the tragedy should not be turned into a political dispute and called for a transparent, impartial and merit-based investigation to establish who was responsible for the deaths.
Usman argued that responsibility for PIMS cannot be attributed solely to the current federal health minister, pointing out that the hospital was established in 1987 and has operated under successive federal governments.
He specifically highlighted the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), saying it had governed at the federal level for a combined period of about 12 years and that its tenure should also be examined as part of any investigation into the hospital’s management and safety standards.
“The PPP’s 12-year tenure at the federal level should also be included in the investigation into the PIMS incident,” Usman said.
The MQM-P lawmaker also noted that Mustafa Kamal has been federal health minister for only one year and four months, arguing that a broader review should examine decisions and administrative practices under previous governments as well.
Usman questioned the political demand for resignations following the tragedy.
“If the logic of seeking resignations is applied, President Asif Ali Zardari should be the first to resign,” he said.
He also criticised the Sindh government, alleging that it had failed to bring those responsible to justice in the Mir Raza murder case and other incidents.
“If resignations are demanded after every incident, Sindh’s ministers would have to resign every day,” Usman remarked.
Call for an impartial investigation
Usman said the deaths of the newborns demanded accountability, but insisted that those responsible should be identified through an independent investigation rather than through political pressure.
He called for investigators to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire, identify administrative or operational failures and determine responsibility on the basis of evidence.
The MQM-P leader stressed that anyone found responsible should face legal action.
The dispute follows the deadly fire at PIMS, one of Pakistan’s largest government hospitals, which claimed the lives of 14 newborn babies and triggered widespread public concern over hospital safety, emergency preparedness and accountability.
While calls for the health minister’s resignation have intensified, MQM-P maintains that the tragedy should be investigated on its merits and that political parties should avoid using the deaths of newborns for point-scoring.
The controversy is now likely to focus on whether the investigation will examine only the current administration or the wider history of management, maintenance and safety standards at PIMS since its establishment.
