Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in writing within hours of the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), but the premier chose not to accept it and asked him to remain in office until completion of the inquiry, according to highly placed sources.

The sources said the minister conveyed his decision to the Prime Minister's Office shortly after the August 26 tragedy in which 14 newborns lost their lives in a fire that erupted in the Mother & Child Health Centre at PIMS. According to the sources, the resignation was submitted in writing and was conveyed to the prime minister within hours of the incident. However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif did not accept it and instead advised the health minister to wait for the findings of the inquiry committee constituted to determine the causes of the tragedy and fix responsibility.

The information assumes significance because the government immediately took action against the federal health secretary following the tragedy, while Mustafa Kamal continued to hold his portfolio and subsequently appeared before parliament and the media to defend the government's commitment to accountability. When contacted, Mustafa Kamal did not respond to messages seeking his comment on whether he had tendered his resignation and whether the prime minister had declined to accept it.

Addressing the Senate, Kamal said the incident could not be allowed to become an episode lasting merely a few days and called for accountability as well as broader reforms in the health sector. The development comes as the prime minister has already ordered action against senior PIMS officials following the submission of an interim inquiry report, with further technical and forensic investigation under way.