Islamabad: Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Friday stressed the need for effective implementation of the inquiry report into the tragic PIMS fire incident, saying those responsible for negligence must be held accountable and permanent measures adopted to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
Speaking in the National Assembly, the minister said the federal government had already announced Rs5 million compensation for each bereaved family.
He said while no compensation could make up for the loss of lives, the government had constituted a committee to investigate the incident and determine its causes and responsibility.
He said investigations into major incidents often entered a lengthy process but failed to reach a logical conclusion, resulting in the public gradually losing sight of the issue.
The minister stressed that such incidents should not be treated merely as matters of compensation but should lead to concrete action against those found responsible and corrective measures to prevent similar tragedies in future.
He said Parliament was the most appropriate forum for ensuring accountability and monitoring the implementation of inquiry reports.
‘Our responsibility here is legislation, but we also have an important role in accountability,’ he said, adding that negligence by any government institution or other relevant authority should be examined and responsibility fixed.
Khawaja Asif said the inquiry committee’s report should be presented before the relevant parliamentary forum so that lawmakers could raise questions and seek explanations where necessary.
He emphasised that the National Assembly and Parliament had a key role in ensuring that investigations into tragedies produced tangible results rather than remaining pending indefinitely.
He urged members to actively participate in the committee meeting, raise questions and offer suggestions to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident.
He also called for the proceedings of the committee to be kept open, saying it should be clear to the public that Parliament was effectively performing its accountability role.
The Deputy Speaker directed all members belonging to different political parties to attend the meeting of the relevant health committee scheduled for Monday and actively participate in the proceedings.
