The country is descending into abyss of anarchy day by day. How unfortunate it is that we do not have any towering personality who can intercede and bridge the differences among warring political parties. Those who abhor democracy must be chuckling heartily over the drama being played out on our national stage. The genius and political acumen of Mr. Zardari is known to all so what would you expect? Having so many other fronts to fight on, trust him to turn the solitary place that was well governed and peaceful into a battleground. But if Mr. Zardari has done his bit to harm democracy, Nawaz Sharif has done nothing less by getting so personal. By losing his commonplace decency, he has lost all his sympathisers. The tone and tenor of his speeches has been far beneath his national stature. A great cause needs great patience. The independence of judiciary is a great cause, indeed, because our basic problem stems from having a corrupt judicial system. But this cause is not greater than democracy itself. One should not go to the extent where the whole system begins to crumble. Please learn from the past. Sanity must prevail in highest echelons of the state and in the top political leadership of the country. This disgruntled nation cannot afford a repeat of adventurism we have had in past. -BASHARAT LODHI, Gujrat, via e-mail, March 2.