KARACHI: Doctors will try to wean hospitalised Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Rashid Godil off his ventilator completely today, a hospital official said Thursday.

Liaquat National Hospital Spokesman Anjum Rizvi at a press conference outside the medical facility said, however, that the targeted politician remains in critical condition. "This doesn't mean that he has been removed from the vent or that his life is not in danger. His situation is still sensitive," Rizvi clarified.

"He has blood tests every half hour ... If the doctors think his blood needs more oxygen, they will put him back on ventilator oxygen. They will decide at that point what percentage they want to keep him on the ventilator," he said.

Preparations to wean Godil off the ventilator began Wednesday, with the senior MQM member's dependence on the ventilator reduced to 60 per cent.

Godil's oxygen supply had been reduced yesterday morning so he could begin breathing on his own, and doctors had discontinued giving him sedatives, the hospital's spokesman had said.

"When he starts breathing on his own and his system starts normalising, then the vent can be removed," the spokesman had said.

The MQM man was responsive to doctors after being weaned off the ventilator and sedatives, and had moved his hands and feet.

Also read: Godil weaned off ventilator to 60pc: LNH spokesman

Rashid Godil was critically wounded after unidentified armed men opened fire on his vehicle near his residence in Karachi's Bahadurabad area Tuesday.

The MQM leader underwent emergency surgery following the attack, and was in critical condition at LNH. He suffered five bullet wounds ─ two in the neck and three in the chest.

Also read: MQM's Rashid Godil critical after Karachi attack