14 newborns die in PIMS fire as celebrities demand justice and accountability

Pakistani celebrities have expressed grief, anger and concern following the deaths of 14 newborns in a fire at the Pakistan Institute

Pakistani celebrities have expressed grief, anger and concern following the deaths of 14 newborns in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, with several stars calling for accountability and answers over how such a tragedy was allowed to happen in a major public hospital.

Actor Mehwish Hayat said she was struggling to process the deaths, describing the loss of newborns in a place where they should have been safest as deeply disturbing. She stressed that tragedies involving vulnerable people must not be reduced to news headlines and called for answers and accountability.

“These tragedies cannot simply become another headline. We need answers, accountability and above all, a society where our women, our children and our most vulnerable are safe,” she wrote on Instagram.

Veteran actor Bushra Ansari also reacted strongly to the tragedy, questioning the state of affairs in the country and urging religious scholars and people from all sections of society to speak up for justice.

In an emotional Instagram post, Ansari highlighted the growing threats faced by children and women, questioning how newborns could be exposed to such dangers.

Senior actor Mohammed Ahmed Syed also raised concerns about the lack of justice in cases involving children. Referring to the PIMS tragedy, he urged people to pay attention to such incidents and demand accountability for those responsible.

“Please open your eyes, at least give one of these people justice,” he said.

Actor Zara Noor Abbas expressed her grief through Instagram Stories, saying she could not imagine the pain being experienced by the mothers who lost their babies. She said she had no words to describe the tragedy and noted that repeated incidents involving the killing, kidnapping and mistreatment of children were affecting people’s sense of safety and mental wellbeing.

Veteran actor Rubina Ashraf described the incident as a “black day” in the country’s history and blamed what she called sheer negligence for the deaths.

“A BLACK DAY in the history of our country. 14 newborns burnt to death!!! There is nothing but sheer negligence,” she wrote.

Other celebrities, including Ahsan Khan, Samar Jafri, Bilal Abbas, Azeekah Daniel and Sabeena Farooq, also shared messages and videos mourning the newborns and expressing solidarity with the bereaved families.

The tragedy has also raised broader concerns about fire safety and emergency preparedness in healthcare facilities. The deaths have prompted renewed scrutiny of safety arrangements at hospitals and other public institutions, with calls for authorities to examine whether existing emergency procedures and fire-prevention measures are adequate.

For the families who lost their newborns, however, the central demand remains clear: a transparent investigation, accountability and justice. As public grief continues to grow, the celebrities’ reactions have added to calls for authorities to establish what went wrong and ensure that similar tragedies are not repeated.