IN a recent interview to a private news channel Gen Pervez Musharraf says that the government should obey the Supreme Court order and write to the Swiss authorities.

He says further that the Supreme Court is above everything. This certainly sounds hollow coming from a person who twice deposed the Chief Justice illegally, and kept him along with other judges and their families under house arrest for a long interval of time.

Musharraf further makes the untenable assertion that the Supreme Court and the army should bring an interim order to save the country. He also claims a constitutional role for the army.

I think both these suggestions are half-baked. It is neither the role of the Supreme Court nor that of the army to bring in an interim setup, a procedure for the same is clearly given in the constitution.

The constitutional role of the Supreme Court is to dispense justice and interpret the law. The only role that the constitution gives our army is to protect the geographical borders of our country under the command of our elected government.

The ex-general adds that only a third force can save the country. He mentions that the third force could be Imran Khan or a coalition. I am glad Gen Musharraf has been disabused of the notion that he could possibly be that third force.

Finally, his berating of individuals like Shaukat Aziz, Shujat Hussain and Fawad Chaudary only speaks about his failure of judging the right people.

AKBAR JAN MARWAT Islamabad