LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Central Punjab General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza on Friday accused federal government officials of using deflective tactics to evade accountability over the deadly Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) hospital fire.

Addressing a press conference along with other party leaders here on Friday, Mr Murtaza demanded immediate resignation of the federal health minister and warned that the PPP could part ways with the ruling coalition pending an upcoming central executive committee decision.

He slammed the government’s response to the disaster, expressing disbelief that a major metropolis like Islamabad relies on hospitals lacking operational fire safety infrastructure.

He questioned the logic of establishing five separate inquiry committees, characterising them as a bureaucratic smokescreen to protect top officials.

Expressing solidarity with the grieving families, he called on the State to publish the true death toll rather than the suppressed official figures, noting that strict enforcement after past urban tragedies could have averted the current loss of life.

The PPP leader linked the systemic failures at Pims to broader governance scandals, singling out the current health secretary for drawing a monthly salary of Rs3.5 million despite alleged past links to high-profile corruption probes, including the Rawalpindi Ring Road, wheat distribution, etc.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2026