ISLAMABAD, June 25: The spouse of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, was shifted to Karachi form Islamabad on Friday night, official sources said.

Mr Zardari, who had been in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), was driven to Islamabad International Airport at 9:45 amid tight security for his departure to Karachi on PK-319, scheduled to take off at 10:30.

The government on last Wednesday served a notice, issued by Swiss Magistrate Christine Junod, on Mr Zardari to appear before her in Geneva on June 30 for hearing in the SGS case.

The information minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, said the government had conveyed its readiness to Mr Zardari to facilitate his presence in the hearing.