It is a well-known and almost incontrovertible idea that culture is destiny. Most of the ills of our body politic emanate from the basic fact that historically we have always lived in an authoritarian and arbitrary culture of power. Even before the advent of Raj, all the invaders including the Mughals treated the local population as herd of cattle. The people of lndo-Gangelic plane has over the centuries developed a psyche that they are not to challenge the established authority. They are still neither aware of their rights nor are they ready to suffer to wrest these rights from a usurper. Our biggest misfortune has been the repeated military inventions. These acts of trampling the constitution has left not a semblance of respect for constitution or law. It is not the parliament but the Constitution, which is sovereign and sacrosanct. After Ayub Khan's cardinal sin in Biblical terms the state of Pakistan suffered a very heavy blow. If the judiciary had shown the courage to defy him, the incoming army adventures would have thought twice to usurp power through the barrel of gun. The founding fathers of the nation should have foreseen and clearly visualized that they are creating a small state (the population and area of United Provinces of India are bigger than whole of Pakistan) bordering a huge country like India. It was in-built in the situation that a small state like Pakistan will always feel threatened by a bigger and bullying neighbour like India. This would obviously ensure the ascendancy of army in a country like Pakistan. The people of Pakistan because of innumerable reasons remained at the mercy of self-styled messiahs and had to put up with one dictator after the other. All of them had one common denominator that the Constitution is "nothing more than a piece of paper" that they have a divine right to fill up all civilian departments with retired or serving army officers, little realising that beside hitting at the very roots of nation's body-politic, they were causing incalculable harm to the institution (army) to which they belong. They had no qualms of conscience that they have broken their oath of allegiance to the Constitution and have murderously betrayed their mandate as defenders of the country. Imagine, General Musharraf called the Chief Judge of the apex court and tried to bully him. It eternally goes to the credit of the judge that unlike his 16 million compatriots he was not cowed down. Lord Action has aptly said that "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Here comes the role of Mr Aitzaz Ahsan and his colleagues who rallied around the judge and performed a historic role. Aitzaz Ahsan has in due course of time become a symbol of hope and courage. With Aitzaz's leadership and heroic struggle the focus rightly remained on the CJ and his reinstatement although the basic issue is that of throwing a dictator out lock, stock and barrel. Unless this is made the central theme of the struggle nothing much can be achieved. The Punjab Governor has made a ridiculous statement which he had to make. After swearing in Punjab Cabinet, he said that Musharraf "is a part of the "democratic" set up and must complete the tenure of his office". One is simply befuddled by such childish and ignorant statement. He is well advised to open Oxford dictionary and see the meaning of the word democracy. Aitzaz Ahsan has filed his papers from NA 55. It is absolutely sure that Mian Nawaz Sharif being true to his words will support him to the hilt.  The people of Pakistan are grateful to Aitzaz and will do anything for his success. In fact they would much prefer to see him as President of the Republic as he alone deserves this office on merit. In a culture of power where flatterers abound and people change their loyalty like a worn out pair of clothes, Aitzaz stands as a beacon of light. A barrister sacrificed everything to establish this country and it was the lot of a courageous barrister again that he pierced the heart of darkness and brought hope and dignity to the downtrodden people of this country. His main colleagues such as Munir Malik, Justice (Retd) Tariq, the redoubtable All Ahmad Kurd, and all the suffering lawyers will go down in history as heroes whose example will be followed by the rest of civil society to have a new Pakistan free from the clutches of illegal, modestly educated and totally ignorant people about the world history and its shining and in numerable lessons. As was mentioned at the very outset, Pakistan's problems, political, social, economic, originate from army interventions. The coterie of people who support them must be taken to task particularly the ones who wanted a dictator to be elected in uniform 10 times. These people were perhaps unaware that to say such things is high treason and they call themselves "patriotic". Dr. Johnson rightfully said, "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel". It is the duty of Mr Aitzaz's party that irrespective of their own past and who has not a past? they must support Aitzaz Ahsan for the highest office in the country. During Queen Victoria's times her Prime Minister Disraeli recommend a person for a very high office enumerating all his qualities of head. The wise Queen after giving through the note remarked, "I have noticed the qualifications but 'what about character'"? and luckily without any shadow of doubt Aitzaz has proved that in an otherwise rotten society he has "character". The writer is a Retired Inspector General of Police