KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari on Friday put up a stout defence of his close aide and former federal minster Dr Asim Hussain, who is currently facing corruption and terrorism charges.

In an interview with a private TV channel, Zardari said Dr Asim was his childhood friend and family doctor and incapable of committing corruption and providing medical help to terrorists.

Dismissing allegation of corruption on Dr Asim, he said the former served as a state minister and likened him to an ‘innocent rabbit’ who is afraid of his own shadow. The PPP leader, like in the past, vowed to defend his friend at all platforms.

The former president also rejected the impression that his last year’s speech in Peshawar was aimed at military establishment.

“I didn’t meant to alienate our institutions,” he said, adding that his statement was taken out of context.

He accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his government of harassing PPP workers but said he would not join any movement aimed at toppling the government or derailing the democracy in the country.

Responding to a question regarding PPP’s alleged links with criminal elements and gangsters, Zardari said the PPP government filed cases and issued arrest warrants against notorious Lyari gangster and head of banned People’s Aman Committee, Uzair Jan Baloch.

“We had offers to join dharna (PTI’s sit-in) to derail democracy but we have firm belief in democracy and want to see it flourish,” he said.

Commenting over political future of his son PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, he said the latter will soon fully take over the leadership of the party. Bilawal will soon hold a public rally in southern Punjab, he added.

Asif Ali Zardari went on to say that his party was also ready to hold dialogue to reform prevailing accountability procedure in the country.