NEW YORK: Former president and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that former petroleum minister and his close aide Dr Asim Hussain, who is facing legal action on charges of terrorism and corruption, is like `an innocent rabbit afraid of his own shadow`.

`Asim is incapable of corruption` let alone facilitating or providing medical help to terrorists, said a Dawn.com report, quoting excerpts from Mr Zardari`s interview to DawnNews on Friday.

The PPP leader is currently in New York, reportedly for medical reasons.

`Asim is a childhood friend and my family doctor. He is the grandson of Dr Ziauddin, and comes from a family that helped create Pakistan,` he said, adding Dr Asim is a progressive individual who `did not need to provide medical help to criminals`.

He rejected allegations that the PPP had links with Lyari gang war leader Uzair Baloch.

`It was the PPP government which initiated action against Uzair, filed cases and issued red warrants against him.

In reply to a question about his remarks that eent se cent baja denge`, Mr Zardari said the comment was for political opponents.

He clarified that his speech at a PPP event last year, which made waves because it was seen as a threat to the establishment, was not against the army.

`Maybe these statements were not explained, but I never meant to antagonise our institutions or give strength to the Taliban.` The ex-president claimed that after the Peshawar school massacre, the PPP playeda key role in transferring power to the establishment on the basis of its strength in the Senate.

`If we had not passed it [21st Amendment], there were many political forces on the table that were against it.

He claimed that at that time Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had appreciated his stance in a note sent to him.

Rejecting speculation that he had left Pakistan because of tensions with the establishment, Mr Zardari said he was not one to flee out of fear.

`I spent 12 out of 27 years of my political career in jail, which means almost one out of every two days in my political career I was behind bars. Why did I do this? To bring back democracy. We fought a dictator and made him [Musharraf] walk out,` he said.

Explaining his absence from the country`s political scene, Mr Zardari said: `I have a whole history of [medical] issues. I never got the opportunity to get these problems fixed.

He rolled up his sleeve and showed injection marks on his arm to the camera. `I have problems with my eyes and nose, Fm getting old as well.

In reply to a question, he said that he would return to Pakistan and `does not wish to be buried in New York City`.

Mr Zardari said that during his five years at the helm there was not a single allegation or scandal against him.

As president, he pointed out, he surrendered his powers and passed them on to the prime minister. Mr Zardari held the PML-N responsible for harassment of PPP sympathisers and workers, but made it clear that his party would not join any sit-in or movement to derail democracy.