So, where are we heading after all? Blunt, straight and simple the answer to this pertinent query is, quite painfully, in the negative. We are going nowhere as there is no direction, no moving onwards and the beloved Motherland seems to be sinking (God forbid) like a rudderless ship. There is neither governance nor the government writ visible anywhere, what to talk about good governance. If at all the country has any leadership at the helm of national affairs, it is void of any clear vision and apparently seems to be under pressure from different sides while continuing to serve their own interests. Pakistan's sovereignty and freedom is at stake and there seems to be none around, at least for the time being, to steer the Motherland out of the troubled waters with storm building up. Whatever little direction was there after the present government took over the reigns after February 18 elections withered away in thin air when India staged USA's Twin Tower like drama by way of terrorist attacks in Mumbai November last. With Delhi mounting the pressure, there has not been a reciprocal strong response to all the wild accusations by the Indian government at every level. In doing so, Delhi has not only kept Islamabad under pressure but also very cleverly hushed up the burning issue of gross violations by New Delhi of the Indus Water Treaty by stopping river Chenab water supplies. New Delhi is continuing with the construction of more and more dams as they have planned. On the contrary, we stand nowhere as non-issues have taken precedence over the real ones like water supplies from India. It seems all the more ridiculous that Pakistan agreed to India's demand to conduct the probe into Mumbai attacks - allegedly committed by some Pakistanis - on the basis of the dossier provided by Delhi and that too without any Pakistani official being allowed to visit Mumbai for this purpose. As if this was not enough, a Polish engineer is reported to have been brutally murdered by the so-called extremists, who are neither Muslims nor Pakistanis because of their wrong doings, after four months of captivity. All these are not positive indications. Islamabad should take a firm and categorical stances on all issues and problems and the coordination, cohesion and cooperation at the top most level must be visible. Pakistan should also minimise its dependence on the US. In all fairness, it seems the leadership is more concerned about serving their own interests, closing eyes to the bitter realities, not honouring the peoples mandate given to different parties in the last general election while the time keeps ticking past and the country and its poor people plunging deeper in the troubled waters. The elected government should address all the internal and external problems boldly and squarely with no direction or guideline whatsoever forthcoming or being entertained from Washington. US policies have not undergone any change whatsoever with the departure of Bush and the induction of Obama in the White House. Such "change of policy", most unfortunately, occurs only in our country with the change of leadership. However, let there be light - please - so that the national leadership can see where we are heading to in a directionless manner while continuously groping in the dark. This is the least, this much-concerned scribe can say in the prevailing circumstances. The writer is a freelance columnist