THE budget session is taking place at a time when the nation is facing intricate problems of different shades and hues. In virtually every sphere of life, one finds issues born of poorly conceived policies and made more complicated with time. Whether it is the political, economic, administrative or foreign domain, the task before the political leadership is, without doubt, daunting. The judicial crisis; the dire economic challenge posed by a combination of external pressures and internal failings; the dismal law and order situation; and the thoroughly ill-judged policies about the so-called War on Terror, to name some glaring problems - all point to a scary scenario. The need of the hour is to make serious and wholehearted efforts to address them. Attempts at shying away for one consideration or the other would entail adverse repercussions. Therefore, all eyes are set on Parliament, hoping that the political leaders assembling at Islamabad to pass the budget would also utilise the opportunity and succeed in reconciling their differences about how best to undo the ill-effects of the legacy left behind by the authoritarian military rule. That the Senate has been called into session simultaneously should facilitate the task. The question of what modalities to adopt in the reinstatement of deposed judges has so far kept the country's two major political forces, the PPP and PML-N, from making their alliance reflect a spirit of genuine understanding between them, which would be very much called for in tackling the other problems. We hope that during the days before the budget is presented, the coalition partners would put their heads together and work out an agreed formula. Equally crying for attention is the pathetic situation of the economy, that had perhaps been the sole pride of the Musharraf regime. Lest the present set-up should also be accused of neglect, no time should be lost before suitable policies to install more power generating units, build water reservoirs and institute reforms to reactivate the economy are framed and implemented. The budget should take effective steps to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, sharpened by the current runaway price hike, apart from providing immediate relief to the hard-hit sections of society. Policies that put the economy on sound footing that make it competitive in the international market, generate employment opportunities and put the country on the road to development and prosperity, must be devised. Our association in the US-sponsored War on Terror must be reviewed and Washington apprised of our serious reservations about pursuing the military course. As a key ally, we should make it clear that foreign presence in Afghanistan would inevitably have consequences, dangerous both for the US and Pakistan.