KARACHI, Dec 16: The District and Sessions Judge, East, Nisar Mohammed Shaikh, condoned on Saturday the absence of Asif Ali Zardari during the hearing of the Justice Nizam case on the application of the defence counsel.

The judge fixed January 1, 2007 for the next hearing after defence counsel Shahadat Awan told the court that his client was in the United States for medical treatment and his doctors had advised him not to travel abroad for at six months.

Defence counsel Shahadat Awan moved a written application on behalf of Mr Zardari. He also placed on court record a medical certificate issued to Mr Zardari by Samin K. Sharma of Cath Lab and Intervention Zena, and Prof Michael A. Weiner of Cardiovascular Institute, New York. The defence lawyer submitted that Mr Zardari had a history of coronary artery disease and intracoronary stents.

Mr Awan said his client was presently undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. “He underwent stress echo on October 2 for the evaluation of his ongoing chest pain which contractile ventricle in anterior and inferior segments”, he said.

The defence lawyer submitted that Mr Zardari also needed to undergo surgery for spine and cataract. He submitted: “In view of the ongoing cardiac symptoms, he was strongly advised by his doctors to stay in the USA and not to travel abroad for six months. He will undergo spine and cataract surgeries in January/ February 2007”.