Islamabad: The recent fire incident at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has brought to light a record of repeated fire safety warnings issued to the hospital administration by the Capital Fire Services since 2018.

According to documents available to ONLINE, the Capital Fire Services had repeatedly warned PIMS about serious deficiencies in its fire safety arrangements and directed the administration to undertake immediate corrective measures.

The fire authorities had also warned of a fine of Rs500,000 and sealing of the building if safety requirements were not fulfilled.

The Fire Safety Wing issued a detailed fire audit report to PIMS on February 15, 2018, directing the administration to take immediate corrective action.

Subsequently, fire safety compliance and pre-inspection notices were issued on May 17, 2018, and July 2, 2019.

On June 8, 2023, a 'Hazard Alert' was issued for PIMS, identifying serious safety concerns including blocked emergency exits and exposed electrical wiring.

The hospital administration was subsequently given a final three-month deadline on May 9, 2024, to ensure implementation of a fire safety plan and conduct regular fire drills.

A final notice issued on November 10, 2025, reportedly stated that failure to implement safety measures amounted to deliberate negligence.

The Fire Services had also warned that in the event of any incident, the hospital administration would bear full responsibility.

The warning notices were reportedly delivered to the Executive Director and Joint Executive Directors of PIMS. Copies were also sent to senior officials of the Ministry of National Health Services, Capital Administration and Development, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad and the Capital Development Authority.

The emergence of the record has raised serious questions about why corrective measures were not implemented despite repeated warnings over several years.