KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari, who is recovering from coronavirus, will be discharged from the hospital either tomorrow or the day after, his personal physician told reporters on Saturday, Dawn.com reported.

The president tested positive for coronavirus and was put in isolation earlier this week.

While talking to reporters, Dr Asim Hussain said the president is “medically fit” and speculations about his health should come to an end.

“He will definitely be discharged within the next 48 hours.”

Talking about the president’s diagnosis, Mr Hussain said he received a call from him last Saturday saying he was ill.

“He described weakness and shivering. Based on his symptoms, I thought it was an infection in his urine, so I prescribed him medication.”

Later, on Eid day, the president again complained of being sick and also had a fever, Mr Hussain said, adding that he travelled to Nawabshah where the president had gone to celebrate Eid.

“[D]ue to a lack of health facilities there, the president had to be moved to Karachi.”

According to Dr Hus­sain, President Zardari’s test results showed he had coronavirus.

The doctors immediately started treatment and certain drugs were ordered from overseas, he added.

“There are some antiviral drugs that are not available in Pakistan, so they were ordered from abroad and administered to the president,” the physician said.

“Gradually, his markers and condition improved and he is feeling better.” When asked about the virus that infected the president, Dr Hussain said the coronavirus was still in Pakistan. “It is not in its lethal form, but it is still here.”

At 69 years of age, President Zardari has had multiple health issues in recent years. He tested positive for Covid-19 in July 2022 but only experienced “mild symptoms”, according to his son and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. The president had fractured his foot while deboarding an aeroplane in October 2024.

Following the fall, he was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. After a check-up, the doctor placed his foot in a cast. In March 2023, he underwent eye surgery in the UAE.

In 2022, Mr Zardari was admitted to Karachi’s Dr Ziauddin Hospital for one week for a chest infection.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2025