The federal government has suspended Health Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghouri following the deaths of 14 newborn babies at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad and assigned the additional charge of Secretary National Health Services to Housing and Works Secretary Captain (retd) Muhammad Mahmood.
A Grade-21 officer, Mahmood will hold the additional portfolio for three months or until a permanent secretary is appointed, whichever comes first. He will continue to serve as Secretary of the Housing and Works Division alongside his new responsibilities.
The change comes in the aftermath of a deadly fire in the nursery of the PIMS maternity and child health ward on Wednesday, which claimed the lives of 14 newborns. Questions have since been raised over fire-safety arrangements at the hospital, emergency response procedures and possible administrative negligence.
A fact-finding committee constituted by Prime Minister has begun investigating the incident. According to sources, members of the committee visited the Fire Brigade Headquarters and recorded statements from personnel involved in the rescue operation.
The committee is also examining the timeline from the outbreak of the fire until the arrival of rescue teams, the response time of the fire brigade and obstacles encountered during the operation. Its findings are expected to determine whether administrative failures or other lapses contributed to the tragedy.
Mahmood brings extensive experience in federal and provincial administration to the health ministry, having held several senior positions during his career. In 2013, he was appointed managing director of the Nandipur Power Project while serving as a Grade-20 officer.
His career has also been marked by controversies and official inquiries. In 2021, his name emerged in connection with the Rawalpindi Ring Road project controversy, when he was serving as Rawalpindi commissioner and project director. The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment arrested him in connection with alleged irregularities in the project.
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Investigations into the Ring Road scheme pointed to alleged irregularities involving changes to the project’s alignment and its cost. Despite the controversy, Mahmood continued to receive appointments to senior government positions.
He subsequently served as Additional Secretary in the Petroleum Division of the Ministry of Energy and was appointed Federal Secretary for National Food Security and Research in 2023. During his tenure, he was also summoned in connection with an inquiry into wheat imports.
In 2024, Mahmood served as Secretary of the Ministry of Information Technology before being made an officer on special duty (OSD) in July and directed to report to the Establishment Division. The move followed allegations concerning dues owed by LDI companies and related policy matters. Mahmood denied any wrongdoing.
His latest appointment places him at the helm of the health ministry at a particularly sensitive moment, with investigations into the PIMS tragedy underway. The decision to entrust him with the ministry’s additional charge, rather than appointing him as permanent health secretary, has also raised questions given his previous senior administrative assignments and the controversies associated with some of them.
For now, the government has limited Mahmood’s additional responsibility to three months or until a permanent secretary is appointed. His immediate challenge will be to oversee the health ministry while the investigation into the PIMS fire proceeds and to address concerns surrounding hospital safety, emergency preparedness and administrative oversight.
The inquiry committee’s final report is expected to shed light on the causes of the fire, the adequacy of safety arrangements and whether any administrative or operational failures contributed to the deaths of the 14 newborns.
