The Punjab Chief Minister is right when he says that the country can develop and prosper with hard work and honesty to attain the glory that was the dream of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. At present, it is very obvious that Pakistan holds little resemblance to the Quaids vision he cherished when he was striving to create a separate state for the Muslims of the subcontinent. Mian Shahbaz Sharif made these observations, while addressing a ceremony held to observe the 106th founding day of the Muslim League under the auspices of Nazria-e-Pakistan Trust (NPT), in collaboration with Tehrik-e-Pakistan-e-Workers Trust, on Saturday. His lament about the state of the country should be taken with the seriousness it demands. We have veered away sharply from the course set before us by the founding fathers, among whom we must count, apart from the Quaid, all those leaders who sincerely worked with him, and indeed, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, who first conceived the idea of an independent Muslim state and later persuaded the Quaid-i-Azam to lead the struggle to obtain it. Pakistan is anything but a welfare state they visualised, where the needs of all its citizens are taken care of. It has failed to take off economically. On the contrary, we find ourselves financially constrained, with the rulers freely and openly indulging in emptying the governments kitty, mindless of the plight of the middle and lower classes, whose lives have become unbearable owing to the runaway inflation. While the rich could have for the asking all the facilities in the world, like good education and proper healthcare, the poor had remained totally neglected. Mian Shahbaz urged for a critical review of the countrys policies to see how the country, rich in mineral resources, fertile land, plenty of water and talented people, had failed to live up to the expectations, and what best course was needed to be adopted to reverse the trend. He believed that the situation called for saving every penny to be utilized in equipping the new generations with the latest knowledge and putting an end to loot and plunder. However, the Danish Schools that he eulogised would not turn the tide. As Mr Majid Nizami, Chairman NPT, drew the Chief Ministers attention, nothing short of revolutionary steps could make Pakistan an educated country. On the question of unification of the different groups of Muslim League, Mian Shahbaz pulled up those who had sided with military dictators, who, in his opinion, were mainly responsible for frustrating the coming true of Quaids dream. He wanted them to apologise before the public for their alliance with military rulers and indulging in enriching themselves at the cost of the rest. Somehow, he did not elaborate who had brought Musharraf, the main culprit for ruining the country, into a position where he could grab the reins of power. The need of the hour is that the PML-N leadership looked at the larger picture, overlooked the past role of those whom they accuse of joining hands with military rulers and come forward to unify the Leagues in the national interest.