The deadly PIMS nursery fire has triggered a major shake-up in Pakistan’s federal health administration. Fourteen newborn babies died in the tragedy.
The government has now assigned additional charge of Health Secretary to Capt (r) Muhammad Mahmood. The decision came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspended Health Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri.
Mahmood is currently serving as Secretary of the Housing and Works Division. He will hold the additional health portfolio for three months.
His appointment will continue until a regular health secretary is selected. The Establishment Division issued the notification under Section 10 of the Civil Servants Act, 1973.
The move comes as the government faces pressure over the PIMS fire. Authorities are investigating hospital safety standards and possible regulatory failures.
A high-level committee has already been formed to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The inquiry is expected to determine how the fire started.
Mahmood’s appointment has also drawn attention because of his previous involvement in a major controversy. His career was affected by the Rawalpindi Ring Road case.
Bureaucrat Arrested in Ring Road Case
In 2021, the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment arrested Mahmood. He was then a former commissioner of the Rawalpindi Division.
Land Acquisition Collector Abbas Tabish was also arrested in connection with the case. Investigators examined alleged irregularities linked to the Ring Road project.
ACE Director General Gohar Nafees said a case was registered after an inquiry. Officials alleged that the Ring Road alignment was changed without required approval.
The allegations also involved missing no-objection certificates. Investigators said approvals from the Capital Development Authority were allegedly not obtained.
Similar concerns were raised regarding the National Highway Authority. Mahmood was serving as Rawalpindi commissioner when the controversy emerged.
He had held the position since December 2019. He was removed from the post in 2021 amid the controversy.
However, the case did not end Mahmood’s administrative career. He later received relief during the legal proceedings.
Reports in 2022 stated that Mahmood and 12 other bureaucrats had been acquitted. A later inquiry reportedly questioned the original fact-finding process.
The subsequent inquiry reportedly found that officials were implicated without being properly heard. This development provided further context to the earlier case.
Mahmood later continued serving in senior government positions. He also served as Secretary of Punjab’s Higher Education Department.
In June 2026, he was appointed Secretary of the Housing and Works Division. He has now taken additional responsibility for the health ministry.
The latest appointment comes at a critical time for the federal health system. The government is under pressure to ensure accountability after the PIMS tragedy.
Authorities are expected to investigate hospital safety procedures and enforcement standards. The probe will also examine possible administrative failures.
The government has promised an investigation into the fire. The appointment of Mahmood places the health ministry under new leadership during the inquiry.
The case highlights the government’s effort to reorganize the health administration after the tragedy. Mahmood will oversee the ministry until a permanent secretary is appointed.
The word arrested remains linked to Mahmood’s earlier legal controversy. However, reports also indicate that he was later acquitted in the proceedings.
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