LAHORE, July 27: Rana Zahid Mahmood, the Lahore additional district and sessions judge, adjourned on Saturday the hearing of a drug case against former federal minister Asif Ali Zardari for Aug 3 on the request of defence counsel. The prosecution did not oppose the request.

The defence lawyers, Mian Muhammad Jehangir, Abu Bakar Zardari and Ashraf Khan said they could not plead the case on account of a strike called by the Punjab Bar Council.

Mr Zardari was also present in the court. Earlier, Arif Balauch, a co-accused, moved an application stating that he was a heart patient and requesting instructions to jail authorities to produce him in the court without handcuffs.

The court sought a report from Kot Lakhpat jail medical officer.

On an application by another co-accused, Shorang Khan, the court directed the medical officer to provide him medical treatment. — APP