Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, in an interview broadcast on Saturday, said corruption charges against President Asif Ali Zardari were "politically motivated" and that the president had immunity as head of state.
In the wide-ranging interview with Al Jazeera television, he also criticised US drone attacks on militants near the Afghan border as counterproductive and said Pakistan never authorised them.
Pakistan, he said, backed any Afghan-led peace plan to establish peace in the neighbouring country and in no way supported Taliban insurgents.
Gilani's statements were aired on the eve of a hearing at which the premier faces indictment for contempt of court over his refusal to request the reopening of corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the premier's Pakistan People's Party (PPP).
"There had been a lot of cases against him, and they were all politically motivated," Gilani said, referring to Zardari.
"He has got immunity. And he has not got immunity only in Pakistan, he has transnational immunity, even all over the world." Asked if he would rather resign for the sake of the president, Gilani said if convicted of contempt, he would automatically lose office, so there was no need for him to quit. "There's no need to step down," he said. "If I'm convicted, then I'm not supposed to be a member of the parliament."
In the interview, Gilani said he had "good relations" with the military "at the moment". Gilani said authorities in Islamabad gave no approval for US drone strikes.
"I want to inform you that we did not allow or give permission to fly drones from Pakistan," he said. "Number two, drones are counterproductive. And we had discussed thoroughly with the US administration that we at times make a lot of efforts to very successfully isolate militants from the local tribes." Asked about the future of Afghanistan, Gilani said Pakistan would support any Afghan-led peace initiative and did not back the Afghan Taliban to take over. "We are not supporting them. It's not our job. Why should we support them?"
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