For the last six decades, the winds of change have been sweeping through this land of the pak and the pure, playing a cruel joke on the passengers on this limping Titanic. These treacherous winds have blown us in different directions and into rain and hailstorms that have blurred our vision and confused the illiterate and ignorant masses of Pakistan. The Quaid-e-Azam had set the course of this country to become a moderate, tolerant and enlightened nation, in which all citizens were free to practice their religion according to their faith. After the Quaid's early demise, the nation had tried to stay on the course he had mapped out for us, but soon after his death, 'Self above all' and one 'law for you and one law for me', captains took over the wheel of this ship. They changed the course of this Titanic many times, each sailing under a different flag, chart and compass. Some had the attitude of the megalomaniac Captain Ahab of Moby Dick, with a one point Islamic agenda, while others had adopted a more liberal, enlightened and tolerant course. And each captain, had always promised us that with his firm hands on the wheel, he, with Ali Baba as first mate and his 40 thieves as the crew, would steer this ship out of the eye of the storm and sail into a safe and tranquil harbour. But they all had the same, 'self above all', character flaw and sailed us into twisting and destructive tornadoes, that have repeatedly brought us to edge of the Niagara Falls, threatening to plunge us into the rocks below and sinking this ship to the depths of the ocean. A nura-kushti between the executive and judiciary has been going on for six decades and the storm is intensifying once again. And now, it seems that the winds of change are blowing again and this ship is about to embark on another perilous journey, but who will be the captain and crew is not quite clear. There is talk of a coming storm and a collision between the two pillars of governance and it seems that we will continue to be in turbulent waters for some time to come. In his recent speeches, the President has stated that there is a conspiracy being hatched by non-state actors and players to remove him from office, as they do not wish to see a 'people's person' in the Presidential Palace. He has warned them that he is a Constitutional Head of State, appointed as per the guidelines of our battered and butchered constitution, while his detractors claim that his very participation in the Presidential Election was flawed and he was not eligible to be a Presidential candidate, a view which is also shared by many. The Judiciary is free and independent for the first time in Pakistan in its history and has broken the shackles that had chained it to the Executive for so many years. The hopes and aspirations of the entire nation of 170 million citizens of Pakistan are on them and the nation is struggling for the supremacy of the constitution, the rule of law, an end to military intervention and extremism and hope for themselves and their children. They expect an independent judiciary to guard their civil rights and liberties as citizens and expect the Hon. CJ and his brother judges to take effective action against the misuse and abuse of power, the VIP culture, enforce the rule of law and establish an across the board accountability and prove that no one is above the law. To meet these dreams, the citizens simply want the President and the heads of major political parties to get their act together and become leaders, not plunderers and provide them with good governance and the rule of law. Mid-term elections or removing the present set-up is not going to solve our problems. But we do not need absentee leaders who play to the galleries and promise us illusions, with offers to do "Kom Ki Khidmat - Serve the Nation". What we desperately need at this stage is strong leadership and a leader with vision, sincerity of purpose and the courage to steer this limping Titanic to a safe harbour. A leader, who is willing to work with dedication and honesty. The elections are just a farce and a charade to appease the west. The common man is not concerned as to who governs him, but as to how he is governed. All he wants is simple good governance, the rule of law and basic civic amenities. And as the system of governance is on the verge of collapse, the citizens expect the judiciary to bring about this change. The President and his senior ministers have repeatedly stated that they will accept the verdict of the Supreme Court, while the PM has assured us that he will respect and abide by the decision of the honourable judges. However, this not an easy task, as old habits die-hard. The judiciary's activism has already turned up the heat in our corridors of power in Islamabad and when shove comes to a push, anything is possible. Some are of the opinion that the President might react according to the same old character flaw of 'self above law' habits. And if that happens, then it would be the final nail in the coffin and would seal all hopes of democracy, an independent judiciary and justice for all in the country. Therefore, let us decide, once and for all, what is Pakistan, a banana republic or a self-respecting democracy? Who is to exercise sovereignty, Parliament, under the Constitution or Ali Baba and his Forty Thieves? Either we say goodbye to the Law of the Jungle and to the 'Might is Right' syndrome or say goodbye to the Constitution, Justice and the Rule of Law. If we fail to take the right decision, then as Shakespeare had written many years ago: "THE FAULT, DEAR BRUTUS, IS NOT IN OUR STARS, BUT IN OURSELVES THAT WE ARE UNDERLINGS." H Maker (email: trust@super.net.pk)