On passage of the 18th Amendment Bill 2010 by both Houses of Parliament, President Zardari remarked in his speech that political forces had defeated dictators. That is largely true but lets see who bells the cat of corruption now which is mother of all ills devastating our country. While a country can survive without democracy under authoritarian rule, it cannot if corruption is on rampage in all its manifestations, like it is in our society at present. Corruption of a scale this horrendous can shake the very foundations of state. We owe it to our people today that we all make an effort to create pressure to ruthlessly and speedily curb corruption. If our leaders and masses continued to ignore writing on the wall, the country would likely flounder on the rock of times. The prognosis is gloomy at present with no light at the end of tunnel. -FAROOQ ZAMAN, Lahore, April 20.