PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Thursday for medical tests, DawnNewsTV reported.

According to Pims staff, results of the tests being conducted today will determine if the former president should be admitted to the hospital.

Sources from the hospital said that Zardari is suffering from back pain and heart problems.

The former president was brought to the hospital in an armoured vehicle. The hospital has been put under tight security for the PPP co-chairman's visit.

When contacted, Pims Executive Director Dr Ansar Maxood said that today's trip to the hospital was for routine tests.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested the former president on June 10 after cancellation of his pre-arrest bail by the Islamabad High Court in the fake bank accounts case. On Aug 16, the court sent the former president to Adiala jail on judicial remand.

Since then, members and workers of the PPP have been raising their voices against the government for "not giving the former president access to health facilities".

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the government was attempting to "murder" his father Asif Ali Zardari by not following doctors' advice to have a medical check-up done of the imprisoned former president.

A day earlier, a doctor from the hospital told Dawn that a few days ago a medical team of the hospital had examined Zardari in jail and advised that some tests related to heart disease should be conducted at the hospital.

He, however, conceded that the government would be the one to decide whether to shift Zardari to the hospital or not.

“We will conduct some tests and it would be better if he is hospitalised,” he had said.