Finding a leader (III)

KARACHI: A system-based concept looks fascinating when one is living in a western country. One is not against a system-based approach at all but first we need to look closely at the fabric of our society, the ethos of our institutions and the style of our democracy. Is it possible to translate these sorts of things into a functional system? What we need is an overhaul of all our democratic norms and institutional values and this can be in fact done through visionary leadership at different levels. In every development process, the first step starts with the finding or emerging of a true leader and the system is put in order after that.

I think the writer’s argument against Imran Khan is flawed. The first is that outdated data is being used and his achievement of setting up a cancer treatment hospital has been ignored. Not only was the hospital built, a procedure has been put in place to treat all patients and even Mr Khan himself cannot violate that procedure. Clearly, this is an example, albeit on a small scale, of a system having been established that works well.

Yaseen Baig

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2011.