Is the state of Pakistan really in as much trouble as our popular media would have us believe? For anyone rational to be part of the general depression, he first needs to know the disturbing realities that are 'weakening the country' as they say. In case of Pakistan, our politicians are 'so completely devoted' to the civil society that they end up hiding as much information as possible from the common man. The public is kept in dark about the minute details that influence decisions determining future of the country. Political leaders of this so-called 'democratic' Pakistan do not really have to worry about the public perceptions of them. They are simply indifferent to the need of the public to know. Thus, we see many of them going totally berserk to prove their political opponents wrong on any number of talk shows everyday. We have our honorable parliamentarians, indeed sitting ministers, using highly inappropriate language on public forums in a rage to discredit each other. We are bombarded with bombast, in the name of 'information', from all sides even as we are unable to ferret out any information from it. All political decisions are taken in cloaks-and-daggers style and remain cloaked in mystery as far as we are concerned. In order to strengthen faith in our politicians, the common man needs to feel like he is part of the system. That is only possible if he is told at least some bit of 'truth' about the state of affairs in the country. -IRSSA SINDHU, Lahore, October 1.