22 May 2004	Saturday	02 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, May 21: A division bench of the Sindh High Court issued the state a notice in an application moved by Asif Ali Zardari, former premier Benazir Bhutto's spouse, for his treatment in a city hospital as ordered by a sessions judge.

Invoking inherent jurisdiction of the high court, Mr Zardari stated that he had developed ailments, including spondalytis, during his incarceration since November 1996. In one of the 'fabricated' cases registered against him under the Suppression of Terrorist Activities Act, 1976, the sessions judge constituted a medical board in his capacity as special judge for suppression of terrorism.

The board, which consisted of senior doctors of the Civil Hospital and Dr Ziauddin Hospital, Karachi, recommended that he should be administered treatment, including hydrotherapy, for eight weeks under the supervision of a spinal surgeon.

He should be examined by a neurophysician, a neurosurgeon and an orthopaedic surgeon after the treatment for further advice. The sessions court passed an order in terms of these recommendations.

The recommended treatment is available at Dr Ziauddin Hospital, Karachi, alone. However, soon after the special judge order, he was transferred to Islamabad to face a trial being conducted by an accountability court at Rawalpindi.

He was admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, which does not have facilities for the treatment required by him, Mr Zardari said in his application. He sought redress from a sessions court, which dismissed his plea.

Challenging the dismissal of his plea by the sessions court, the applicant requested the high court to order his treatment as recommended by the medical board and initially ordered by the sessions court. A division bench, comprising Justices Wahid Bux Brohi and Rehmat Hussain Jaferi, put the state on notice in the application for a date in office.

HEARING PUT OFF: The District and Sessions Judge (Central) Syed Pir Ali Shah, on Friday adjourned the hearing against Asif Ali Zardari, husband of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, in Justice Nizam Ahmed murder case.

The matter, which was fixed for Friday for indictment of Asif Zardari and other co-accused, could not proceed due to non-production of Asif before court. The court fixed July 9 for indictment of the accused and also issued production order of Asif Zardari for next hearing. Special Public Prosecutor Maula Bux Bhatti is representing the state.

Asif Zardari, with other co-accused Bilal Sheikh, Javed Akhtar Pirzada and Babar Sindhu, is being tried for his alleged involvement in the killing case of ex-high court judge and his son.

Justice Nizam Ahmed, a former judge of Sindh High Court, and his son Nadeem Ahmed, a lawyer, were shot dead in an attack on June 10, 1996 outside their house at PECHS area Karachi.