Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari was shifted to an intensive care unit (ICU) in Karachi on Sunday evening, local media reported on Monday.

The former president has a severe chest infection and his sugar level had also dropped drastically, Dr Asim Hussain, personal physician of the PPP leader, told the Express Tribune He is currently being treated at a private hospital in the metropolis.

“Former President of Pakistan and PPPP @AAliZardari was shifted to hospital after feeling unwell late Sunday evening. Doctors are conducting his medical check-up and necessary medical tests,” the PPP’s spokesperson tweeted.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also expressed concerns over his father’s appearances in the court amid fear of contracting Covid-19.

The ailing former president was released from jail in December last year after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved his bail in corruption cases on medical grounds.

He had been suffering from ischemic heart disease, which means his heart may have an inadequate supply of blood and oxygen. He also has severe pain in L5-S1 vertebra of the spinal cord.

Zardari is facing multiple corruption cases that have stemmed from a mega money laundering scandal, which came into the limelight in 2018.