In a tragic incident, a fire broke out early Wednesday morning at a maternity ward in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad, killing 14 infants and leaving parents devastated. Witnesses claim they waited for hours as rescue workers arrived too late. The blaze originated from an air-conditioning unit on the third floor of the mother and child unit at PIMS, one of Pakistan's major state-run hospitals. Despite the hospital's executive director stating that the ward's door was manned rather than locked for baby protection, some parents asserted that the maternity ward's door was actually locked, leaving them stranded. The father of a deceased infant reported poor fire security and insufficient exits in the building. Eyewitnesses allege that duty staff were absent during the incident, necessitating desperate measures such as breaking down doors and smashing windows to combat the flames. Islamabad's Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf claims rescue teams promptly responded to the emergency call, but several eyewitnesses dispute this claim. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an immediate investigation into the incident and suspended Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri. The loss of lives in such a vulnerable population is deeply regretted by the prime minister. Pakistan has grappled with numerous major fires in recent years, often attributing high death tolls to poor safety regulations, building codes, and lax enforcement.