PPP Senator Saleem Mandviwalla said on Friday that President Asif Ali Zardari had tested negative for Covid-19 and would soon make a complete recovery.

According to a statement from the presidency last week, Zardari tested positive for the coronavirus and was put in isolation. He has since been receiving treatment in Karachi.

His personal physician and close aide Dr Asim Hussain on Saturday told reporters that the president was “medically fit” and would soon be discharged from the hospital.

Providing an update on the president’s health today, Mandviwalla told Dawn.com: “His rapid [antigen] test is negative,” adding that Zardari’s health was improving as well.

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 United Arab Emirates.

In 2022, Zardari was admitted to Karachi’s Dr Ziauddin Hospital for one week for treatment of a chest infection. Amid rumours of ill health, Hussain had confirmed that he was “in good health”.

A year prior to that, Zardari was admitted to a private hospital in Karachi due to “exertion and exhaustion” caused by his frequent travelling.