When Pakistan was 10 years old, the masses were miserable. They complained to the rulers of their misery. The rulers resentfully told the masses that they did not have Aladdins lamp with which to exterminate their misery overnight. When Pakistan was 20 years old, the masses were miserable. They complained to the rulers of their misery. The rulers resentfully told them that they did not have Aladdins lamp with which to exterminate their misery overnight. When Pakistan was 30 years, the masses were miserable. They complained to the rulers of their misery. The rulers resentfully told them that they did not have Aladdins lamp with which to exterminate their misery overnight. When Pakistan was 40 years old, the masses were miserable. They complained to the rulers of their misery. The rulers resentfully told them that they did not have Aladdins lap with which to exterminate their misery. When Pakistan was 50 years old, the masses were miserable. They complained to the rulers of their misery. The rulers resentfully told them that they did not have Aladdins lamp with which to exterminate their misery overnight. When Pakistan was 60 years old, the masses were miserable. They complained to the rulers of their misery. The rulers resentfully told them that they did not have Aladdins lamp with which to exterminate their misery overnight. More than 20,000 nights have gone by since Pakistans birth. How many more nights the rulers would require to liberate the masses from their misery? It is a secret which the rulers shall never reveal. When General (retd) Musharraf became President of Pakistan, the masses complained of their misery. He snubbed them by asserting: I dont have a magic wand with which to liberate you from your misery. He was right. He had only one magic wand with which he made himself President. He needed another magic wand with which he could emancipate the masses from their misery. Unfortunately, during his tenure, he was unable to get hold of another magic wand. No wonder, he could not relieve the masses of their misery overnight. When Musharraf was President, he consistently assured the masses that everything under his regime would be done on pure merit. He loved to do everything on pure merit because he himself had become President on pure merit. Probably, he believed that there was nothing more meritorious than a military coup. Once a politician miraculously became the countrys Prime Minister. The masses complained to him of their misery. He warned the masses: Dont be so impatient. I cant do a miracle to relieve you of your misery overnight. Actually, what he meant was that miracles are created by nature for favouring a very special brand of Pakistanis. As regards miracles, nature detests the ordinary Pakistanis. During the entire history of Pakistan, no miracle has ever happened to better the miserable plight of the masses overnight. Obviously, magic wands, Aladdins lamp and miracles detest the miserable Pakistanis. They keep themselves at a safe distance from them. But they love to embrace and kiss some very special Pakistanis. Gods greatest gift to a nation is a supreme leader. Lately, God blessed Iran with a revolutionary giant. He destroyed the centuries-old emperorship of Iran. The extinction of the emperorship gave birth to the political freedom and economic prosperity of the masses. Ever since Pakistans birth, the masses have been relentlessly praying: O God Bless us with a political Messiah. The motherland is finding it difficult to breathe. It is sinking and sinking and sinking. It has become a land of tragedies. The masses must continue praying and praying and praying till their supplication for mercy is granted by God n The writer retired as professor of the Department of English, Government College University, Lahore.