The Capital Development Authority on Sunday sealed several high-rise buildings and fined three major hospitals in Islamabad. The move comes after a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences killed 14 newborn babies. The CDA slapped a Rs500,000 fine on PIMS, Polyclinic, and its own Capital Hospital for failing to meet fire and life-safety requirements.
Key Highlights
- PIMS, Polyclinic, Capital Hospital fined Rs500,000 each by CDA
- Four high-rise buildings sealed in Blue Area, two hotels sealed partly
- CDA Chairman issues zero tolerance on fire safety violations
- Enforcement teams leave for F-11 to seal apartment block owned by politician
- Petition filed in Islamabad High Court over alleged fire safety law violations
CDA has sealed three prominent Islamabad buildings over fire-safety violations after stepping up inspections following the recent PIMS fire. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/Gd2PzumQwF
— ProPakistani (@ProPakistaniPK) August 31, 2026
A Sweeping Enforcement Sweep Across Blue Area
Under its enhanced enforcement, CDA sealed the Shaheed-i-Millat Building, State Life Building, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan Building and Beverly Center in Blue Area. At the time of filing this report, inspection teams were also inspecting the National Insurance Company Limited building.
Two hotels in the Blue Area have also been partially sealed, and no new guests are allowed to check in. “Yes, today we have sealed some high-rise buildings in Blue Area along with sealing two hotels partially. “Pims, Polyclinic and CDA’s own hospital were fined Rs500,000 each,” a CDA official said.
The enforcement action is not stopping in the Blue Area. Teams were en route to F-11 to secure an apartment block owned by a politician, the same official said. “We are at F-11, and after some time, high-rise apartment buildings owned by a politician will be sealed for not following the rules, regardless of how many notices have been issued,” the official said. He said that the building in question had been issued multiple warnings before it was sealed.
CDA Claims New Normal Is Zero Tolerance
In a press release, the CDA said it has increased enforcement of fire and life safety standards across Islamabad, saying protecting human lives is its top priority. The agency confirmed that the Shaheed-i-Millat Secretariat, State Life Building, and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan Building were sealed after failing to remediate fire safety observations previously flagged by the CDA Fire & Emergency Services Directorate.
CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf has directed the concerned departments to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on serious fire safety violations and ensure strict compliance with safety standards in the future. “No building, institution or organization should be allowed to endanger lives by failing to meet essential fire prevention and emergency response requirements,” he said.
The CDA said the Fire & Emergency Services Directorate has been actively inspecting buildings to identify gaps in fire prevention, emergency exits, firefighting equipment, evacuation readiness, and other essential safety measures. The Building Control Section has been directed to rectify any shortcomings identified within a specified period. Chairman Ashraf also directed the departments to closely monitor compliance in the future to ensure that safety observations lead to corrective action and are not left unattended.
Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility, said Ashraf. Proper installation and maintenance of firefighting equipment, clear emergency exits, appropriate evacuation planning and consistent adherence to safety procedures can truly be lifesaving in an emergency, he said. “Protection of human lives is the first and foremost responsibility. The CDA statement said: “There will be no compromise on fire and life safety.
Legal challenge puts pressure on fire safety enforcement
Separately, a petition was filed before the Islamabad High Court against alleged non-implementation of fire safety laws in the federal capital. The petition was filed by citizen Malik Naveed Ashiq Awan through his counsel, Advocate Afrasiab Ahmed Rana, naming the federation, CDA chairman, chief commissioner, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, Higher Education Commission, Private Educational Regulatory Authority, Federal Directorate of Education, and Islamabad Food Authority, among others, as respondents.
Referring directly to the PIMS tragedy, the petition pointed out that 14 newborn babies were burnt alive in the August 26 fire and argued that this raises serious questions over fire safety arrangements at one of the capital’s largest public hospitals. The petition alleged that PIMS did not have a no-objection certificate from the concerned fire department for fire safety. It added that several commercial, educational, and medical buildings in Islamabad were operating without the mandatory fire safety certification, which is legally required, and if true, shows the enforcement gap extends far beyond the buildings sealed so far.
