President Zardari expected to be discharged soon: Dr Asim

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari is recovering well and may be discharged from hospital within the next few days, according to his physician Dr Asim Hussain.

Speaking to the media, Dr Asim said that the president is receiving treatment at a private hospital in Karachi, where he is under the care of infectious disease specialists.

Dr Asim said that the president’s condition is improving, adding that recent blood test reports have also indicated positive signs.

“Infectious diseases department experts examine President Asif Zardari three times a day,” he said, adding that shifting him from Nawabshah to Karachi for treatment was a good decision

Dr Asim further noted that visits have been restricted as a precaution due to COVID-19, the virus President Zardari tested positive earlier this week. He added that the president’s family is being provided with continuous health updates.

President Zardari was shifted to Karachi after experiencing health complications. Since then, he has remained in isolation, with close medical monitoring and multiple diagnostic tests carried out to assess his condition.

Senior political figures have expressed their concern and sent well-wishes. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke to the president by phone, offering prayers for his swift recovery and noting that the entire nation was praying for his health. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq held a telephonic conversation with President Zardari to inquire about his well-being. During the conversation, Sadiq conveyed his hopes for Zardari’s full recovery. Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori had also contacted President Zardari’s physician, Dr Asim, to inquire about the head of state’s health and wish him well.

Earlier, Sindh Minister Sharjeel Memon rejected rumours that the president was being moved to Dubai for further treatment, stating that Zardari was recovering well and would not need to travel abroad.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari has vowed to carry forward ZAB’s mission to make Pakistan a developed, sovereign and people-friendly country.

According to a statement issued by the President House on the 46th death anniversary of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to be observed today (Friday), Zardari reiterated his resolve to take every possible step to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty, democracy and people’s rights. Remembering ZAB as a great statesman, a courageous leader and a true representative of people, the president said the late Bhutto set Pakistan on the path to development, sovereignty and public welfare. “Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave the nation its first unanimous constitution, laid the foundation of Pakistan’s nuclear program and gave the country’s foreign policy an independent and sovereign identity,” he said, adding that under Bhutto’s leadership, Pakistan hosted the Islamic Summit Conference, paving the way for the unity of the Muslim Ummah.

The president lauded Bhutto’s empowerment of workers, farmers and the underprivileged by granting them their due rights. Besides, the country achieved significant progress in the fields of education, industry and defence due to ZAB’s efforts, he said.