Making Fire Safety a Priority

Pakistan has once again been reminded that fire safety is not a luxury or an issue to be considered after a building has been constructed. It is a basic requirement for protecting human life. The tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on August 26, in which at least 14 newborn babies died, has raised deeply disturbing questions about fire prevention, emergency exits and safety arrangements in healthcare facilities. Reuters reported that the fire broke out in the mother-and-child health ward and that the presence of high oxygen levels accelerated the spread of flames. Concerns were also raised about inadequate fire exits and other safety measures. An investigation has been ordered.

This tragedy came only months after the devastating Gul Plaza fire in Karachi. The January 2026 blaze at the multi-story shopping complex.

These incidents should force Pakistan to ask a fundamental question: Are our buildings designed to protect people when a fire breaks out?

Fire safety cannot begin when smoke is already filling a building. It must begin at the drawing-board stage.

When a shopping mall, hotel, hospital, school, apartment complex, factory or office building is designed, fire safety should be incorporated into the architectural and engineering plans. Emergency exits, fire-resistant doors and walls, protected staircases, fire alarms, smoke detectors, sprinklers, hydrants, firefighting water tanks, emergency lighting and evacuation routes should be essential components of the design, not optional additions.

Pakistan already has a national regulatory framework. The Pakistan Engineering Council lists the Building Code of Pakistan Fire Safety Provisions 2016 among its building codes and standards. The fire-safety provisions were developed by PEC in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority.

The problem, therefore, is not simply the absence of standards. The bigger challenge is implementation, inspection and enforcement.

Consider a crowded shopping mall. Hundreds or thousands of people may be inside. If a fire starts, customers cannot be expected to know the building’s design. They need clearly marked, accessible and unobstructed emergency exits. Multiple escape routes are essential so that people are not trapped if one passage is blocked by flames or smoke.

The same applies to hotels. Guests may be unfamiliar with the building or asleep when a fire starts. Hospitals present an even greater challenge because many patients cannot walk independently. Newborns, patients on oxygen and people in intensive care require assistance and carefully planned evacuation procedures.

Every public and high-occupancy building should therefore have a comprehensive fire-safety system. Emergency exits must be clearly marked, unlocked and kept free of obstruction. Buildings should have multiple escape routes and fire-resistant emergency staircases that remain usable during a fire. Emergency lighting should automatically operate when the main electricity supply fails.

Early detection can save lives. Smoke detectors and fire alarms should be installed at appropriate locations and tested regularly. Suitable fire extinguishers should be easily accessible and maintained according to the type of fire risk. Larger buildings should have fire hydrants, hose reels and adequate firefighting water storage.

Where required according to the building’s size, occupancy and risk, automatic sprinkler systems can help control a fire before it spreads. Evacuation routes must remain accessible and should never be used for storing furniture, merchandise or other materials.

Equipment alone, however, is not enough. Buildings should conduct regular fire drills so employees and occupants know what to do in an emergency. Staff should receive practical training in evacuation procedures and the use of firefighting equipment. Designated fire wardens should be responsible for guiding occupants to safety and coordinating the initial response.

An emergency exit that is locked, blocked by merchandise or used for storage is not an emergency exit in any meaningful sense.

Responsibility for fire safety cannot be placed entirely on firefighters after a fire has started.

Architects and builders must incorporate fire safety into building designs. Engineers must ensure that fire-protection systems are properly designed and installed. Building-control authorities must examine fire-safety plans before approving construction and occupancy. Owners and building managers must maintain equipment, conduct drills and keep escape routes clear. Government inspectors must conduct regular inspections and take action against serious violations.

Civil Defence and fire services also have important roles in training, preparedness, technical guidance and emergency response.

A fire extinguisher hanging on a wall does not automatically make a building safe.

The crucial questions are: Is it the correct type? Is it charged? Has it been inspected? Is it accessible? Do employees know how to use it?

The same principle applies to fire alarms, smoke detectors, hydrants, pumps, sprinklers and emergency generators. Fire-safety equipment must be operational, maintained and regularly tested.

Petrol stations also deserve particular attention because they handle highly flammable fuels. Emergency shutdown systems, extinguishers and other fire-protection arrangements must be inspected and kept functional. Staff should know how to respond immediately to a fire, fuel leak or other dangerous situation.

Emergency services such as Rescue 1122 are essential when a fire occurs. In Punjab, Rescue 1122 provides emergency response services including firefighting and rescue. But emergency response is only one part of fire safety.

Firefighters arrive after an emergency has started. They cannot correct a badly designed building, unlock a blocked exit or install a missing sprinkler system in the middle of a fire.

Prevention and preparedness must therefore receive equal attention.

There are encouraging signs that authorities are beginning to strengthen regulations. In February 2026, the Sindh Building Control Authority revised its rules to make fire-safety infrastructure an integrated component of building projects. The revised rules require specified developments to include dedicated firefighting water storage at both planning and completion stages.

Such measures are important, but regulations have little value if they are not enforced.

Pakistan needs a culture in which no building receives final approval without verified fire-safety arrangements. Fire safety should be checked before a building opens not after people die.

Provincial and local authorities should conduct comprehensive fire-safety audits of hospitals, schools, universities, shopping centres, hotels, factories, markets, high-rise residential buildings, cinemas, wedding halls, petrol stations and other high-occupancy premises.

Every inspection should examine emergency exits, evacuation routes, fire-resistant staircases, alarms, smoke detectors, extinguishers, hydrants, firefighting water storage, electrical systems, emergency lighting, sprinklers where required and staff training.

Buildings presenting an immediate threat to life should not simply receive another warning. Authorities should have the capacity to impose penalties, require immediate corrective measures or suspend occupancy where necessary.

After every major fire, committees are formed, condolences are offered and investigations are announced. But prevention must come before investigation.

The question is not whether a building contains a fire extinguisher. The real question is whether the entire building has been designed and maintained so that people can detect the fire, raise the alarm, escape safely and receive effective emergency assistance.

The deaths at PIMS and the earlier tragedy at Gul Plaza should be treated not simply as unfortunate accidents but as a national warning.

Fire safety must become a core element of Pakistan’s urban development policy. Architects, engineers, builders, owners, regulators and emergency services must work together to make buildings safer.

Fire safety must come first at the design stage, during construction, before occupancy and throughout the life of every building. Lives should never depend on whether an emergency exit happens to be unlocked when a fire starts.