News Detail
Event Title: Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Chairperson Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights Presiding over a Meeting of The Committee at Parliament Lodges, Islamabad
Event Date: 2026-09-09
Senate Human Rights Committee directs to lodge FIR of fire at PIMS and initiation of criminal proceedings; immediate compensation to all affectees of Jaranwala incidents
The meeting of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights was held today at Parliament Lodges, Islamabad, under the chairpersonship of Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri. Senators Syed Masroor Ahsan, Abid Sher Ali, Aimal Wali Khan, Qurat-ul-Ain Marri and Atta-ul-Haq attended the meeting.
The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights was informed on Wednesday that no First Information Report (FIR) had so far been registered regarding the fire incident at the nursery of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), in which 14 newborn babies reportedly lost their lives.
During the briefing, the Committee Chairperson questioned the PIMS officials regarding the registration of an FIR in connection with the incident. Dr. Iqbal Durrani informed the Committee that no FIR had yet been registered.
Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan pointed out that the Prime Minister had directed the termination of services of eight employees and registration of criminal cases against those responsible. He questioned why no action had been taken despite the Prime Minister’s directives.
Expressing serious concern, Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri questioned the PIMS officials over the delay in registering an FIR and sought clarification regarding the alleged negligence that led to the tragic incident.
The Chairperson Committee directed to immediately lodge an FIR pertaining to negligence and the loss of lives, attach assets of the responsible officials, initiate criminal proceedings against them without further ado and place the names of the suspended officers on the Exit Control List (ECL).
The Committee initially discussed the Jaranwala incident of 16th August, 2023. The Committee was informed that 389 persons had been arrested in connection with the case, while proceedings in a number of cases were either under trial or concluded.
The Chairperson expressed serious concern over the prolonged pendency of the matter and observed that the Committee had repeatedly provided additional time to the concerned authorities for resolving the issue. She emphasized that, as the matter concerned a minority community, it required urgent resolution.
Senator Abid Sher Ali appreciated the efforts of the police and administration, while stressing the need to ensure justice and adequate compensation to the affected community. The Chairperson directed that the actual losses suffered by the affected families, particularly damage to their houses, must be properly assessed and compensation provided accordingly.
The representative of the Chief Secretary informed the Committee that the grievances of the affected persons would be heard and an assessment committee would evaluate the losses in the presence of community representatives. It was informed that Rs. 2 million would be distributed to each family.
The affected families, however, expressed concerns that the compensation provided did not correspond to the actual losses suffered. The Chairperson directed that the aggrieved parties must be taken into confidence and compensation should be determined on the basis of actual losses.
The CEO, GWMC, briefed the Committee regarding the case of Mr. Zeeshan, Sanitary Worker and explained the procedure adopted for awarding contracts and award of contracts to the lowest bidder. The Committee was also informed that work and vehicles were monitored through a dedicated mechanism.
The Committee questioned the presence and role of Mr. Zeeshan, who was associated with a third party but was serving at the Suthra Punjab office. It was informed that Mr. Zeeshan had initially been engaged in 2025 and was subsequently rehired and deputed to the IT room of the Suthra Punjab office to perform the duties of Naib Qasid.
The Committee was further informed that he was dismissed from service on grounds of misconduct. The Committee directed the department to submit all relevant documents concerning the case. The Committee was also informed that compensation had been provided to the deceased's family and a plot had been given to his family.
The Chairperson directed that the deceased's family be invited to the next meeting so that they could be given an opportunity to present their position directly before the Committee.
The Committee reviewed a case of target killing of Ahmed Javed S/o Adil Rasheed. It was briefed that the main accused had been granted bail by the High Court. The aggrieved family was heard by the Committee and informed that the accused appeared in court hearings accompanied by 40–50 persons, allegedly harassing the complainant and intimidating witnesses.
The Committee was informed that courts have their own security arrangements and that police officials cannot independently operate within courtrooms except on the directions of the presiding judges. The Committee recommended that an application be submitted before the court to prevent the practice of bringing large numbers of persons to hearings for the purpose of intimidation.
The Chairperson also questioned why the accused was allowed to move with a large number of guards, observing that security arrangements should also protect ordinary citizens.
Senator Aimal Wali Khan criticized the working of the CCD in Punjab and the CTD in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and expressed concerns regarding the effectiveness of the criminal justice system.
The Chairperson expressed concern over alleged material uploaded on social media by the accused and questioned the performance of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in dealing with malicious online activities. She sought clarification regarding the evidence required by the NCCIA for registration and prosecution of such cases.
The Committee discussed the issue of child begging in Islamabad and the existing mechanisms for dealing with habitual adult beggars and child beggars. It was observed that the existing facilities were insufficient to accommodate the number of children requiring rehabilitation.
Senator Qurat-ul-Ain Marri stressed the need for establishing a permanent rehabilitation centre in the Federal Capital. She emphasized that all relevant departments and stakeholders should work together to establish appropriate facilities and formulate education, skills-development and rehabilitation programmes to enable children involved in begging to become productive members of society.
Senator Aimal Wali Khan observed that child begging had become an organized business in different parts of the country and that certain begging points were effectively controlled by groups.
The Committee recommended that Islamabad should be developed as a model for addressing child begging and directed that the existing shelter home should not be vacated until alternative facilities had been constructed and the children shifted to appropriate rehabilitation arrangements. The Committee further stressed the need for proper assessment of the children and development of sustainable programmes for their social rehabilitation.
The CPO Rawalpindi briefed the Committee regarding the Hina Javed case. He stated that senior police officers visited the crime scene immediately after the incident and that evidence was preserved and processed through scientific methods. A special investigation team had been constituted, while a secondary team was also formed to supervise the investigation.
The Committee was informed that the available evidence was primarily scientific and had been referred to the forensic department, whose report was awaited. An FIR had been registered against the husband, father-in-law and a servant.
The Committee was also briefed on the case of Hina Zareef. It was informed that she had been married against her will in October 2025 and subsequently left her home. According to the briefing, she later went to Lahore, resultantly her father allegedly killed her and described the incident as an honour-related matter.
The police took action after the body was recovered. The Chairperson directed the concerned authorities to submit a complete report on the case in the next meeting.
The Additional IG, Sindh briefed the Committee regarding the case of Mir Raza. It was informed that the deceased's father had reported his son missing in July 2026. The first post-mortem examination was conducted on 30th July, while a second post-mortem examination was subsequently conducted.
Senator Abid Sher Ali questioned the necessity of conducting a second post-mortem. The Additional IG, Sindh explained that the first post-mortem was the police requirement while the second post-mortem had been conducted at the request of the accused's family.
The Committee was further informed that the concerned SHO had failed to properly preserve the crime scene and had shifted the body to the hospital. The SHO and DSP were subsequently suspended for negligence. The Committee recommended that to arrest the concerned SHO.
The Committee directed the concerned departments to submit the required reports and documents in the respective cases for further consideration.