Church Leaders Demand Accountability After Hospital Fire Kills 14 Newborns in Islamabad

Catholic leaders in Pakistan, including Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad, president of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference; Archbishop Khalid Rehmat of Lahore; and Archbishop Joseph Arshad of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi Archdiocese, issued statements on August 29 demanding justice and immediate safety reforms following a devastating fire on August 26 at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital city. The fire, which broke out in the hospital’s neonatal unit, killed 14 newborn infants.

Framing the crisis through the lens of Catholic social teaching and Gospel values, Bishop Samson Shukardin emphasized that protecting human life from its earliest moments is a sacred duty.

"The sanctity of human life is a gift from God, and every child, especially a defenseless newborn, deserves the highest standard of protection and care," Bishop Shukardin said.

Grounding his call for justice in Christian stewardship and moral responsibility, he stressed that national grief must translate into strict legal action: "True compassion requires us to seek truth and righteousness. The entire nation has been shocked and deeply saddened by this devastating incident.

We pray for the grieving families, but we also call on authorities to uphold their God-given duty to protect the vulnerable, hold those guilty of criminal negligence fully accountable, and institute safeguards that prevent such preventable tragedies from ever happening again."

Adding a solemn plea focused on the protection of citizens in his statement, Archbishop Khalid Rehmat expressed profound sorrow over the loss of innocent lives, calling on the state to uphold its fundamental obligation to protect its people.

"Every single citizen, from the newly born in a cradle to the elderly in our care, possesses an inherent right to safety and protection under the care of the nation," Archbishop Rehmat stated.

"When public institutions fail to safeguard our most vulnerable, it shakes the very foundation of public trust. We join our voices in grieving with these heartbroken families, and we appeal to the government to ensure that human life is honored with the highest standards of safety, care, and institutional protection."

Echoing the call for accountability, Archbishop Dr. Joseph Arshad extended his condolences to the grieving families, describing the tragedy as an irreparable loss for the entire nation.

Archbishop Arshad noted that Pope Leo also conveyed his profound sorrow and prayers for the affected families. "May Almighty God grant eternal rest to the departed innocent children, give strength and courage to their grieving parents to bear this irreparable loss”. Archbishop Arshad prayed, while urging health authorities to overhaul facility protocols.

Church leadership also raised sharp concerns regarding systemic failures across public institutions, stressing that the tragedy points to a grave, alarming failure of institutional oversight and basic safety standards in places meant to preserve life.

The blaze, which broke out early in the morning on August 26 on the third floor of the hospital's Mother and Child ward, sparked national outrage regarding safety standards and emergency readiness in state healthcare centers. High-level government inquiries into the disaster remain ongoing.