KARACHI, Dec 5: Asif Ali Zardari on Friday moved an application for his medical treatment before Special STA Judge Pir Ali Shah.

The judge is holding trial in Justice Nizam’s murder case inside the Central prison.

In his application, filed through counsel Farooq Naek, Mr Asif Zardari, maintained that doctors had advised his immediate operation and prayed that he should not be moved from Dr Ziauddin hospital until he recovers from surgery.

Shahadat Awan, advocate, told newsmen that Mr Zardari was suffering from bleeding piles and advized immediate laser surgery.

Special Public Prosecutor Mola Bakhsh Bhatti opposed the application on the pretext that he required time for seeking his client’s consent. He was of the view that this treatment could also be given in the jail or any government hospital.

But Mr Azizullah Shaikh, counsel for Mr Zardari, said the doctors had opined that his client needed immediate surgery and had advised at least four weeks bed rest.

He said that Dr Ziauddin Hospital has been declared a sub- jail, and, therefore, Mr Zardari, for all practical purposes, would be operated upon inside the jail. As the SPP persisted in opposing the application, Mr Shaikh said that “if the accused is not alive, whom will you prosecute”.

The SSP said that Mr Zardari was required to appear in various cases in Punjab, including on Dec 8th. At this point, Mr Shaikh pointed out that on that date Mr Zardari was also required to appear in Karachi in another case.

He said that such tactics were applied by the prosecution to harass the his client who is being subjected to political victimisation for the past seven years.

Finally the court decided that the application should come up for consideration on Saturday. Hearing of the actual murder case was adjourned to Jan 9.

Earlier, Mr Azizullah Shaikh opposed prosecution’s attempt to submit a list of new witnesses in the case and claimed that under 265(c), there was no provision for piecemeal supply of list of witnesses to be examined.

Later talking informally to newsmen, Mr Asif Ali Zardari said that till now no decision had been taken by the PPP to launch a movement. When Benazir Bhutto would give a call, it would be initiated, he said.

Replying to a question he said that dialogue was part of politics. He also referred to the authority vested in Makhdoom Amin Fahim and said that major decisions would be taken by the party collectively.

To a question, he said that Greater Thal Canal issue was a diversion from LFO and other political issues. He also criticised the privatisation of OGDC at lesser price.

When his attention was drawn to Justice Nasim Hassan Shah’s remarks about ZAB sentence, Mr Zardari said that such remarks only confirmed the PPP’s claim that its founder was the victim of politics of vengeance.