May 12, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 24, 1428

ISLAMABAD, May 11: The country is going through a defining moment in the form of judicial crisis but the youth, whose support is desperately needed to put it on the right track, is missing and it could lead the way to a true democratic system in the country, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, said.

“This is the right time to come on (the) roads against the military dictator to save your, as well as your children’s future,” the PTI chairman remarked during his lecture on ‘leadership’ at Iqra University, here on Thursday.

Criticizing the present government for its “spineless response” to the crisis both within the country and internationally, Mr Khan said, the ongoing judicial crisis had provided the nation an opportunity to get rid of the “corrupt ruling clique.”

“The Chief Justice’s stand to fight for his right against the General has given a rare hope to the already marginalized masses of this country to vent their steam against the military-led government,” he added.

“If we remain sitting back in our houses to see the crisis merely as a spectator, no one from another country would come to help us, therefore, I ask you to come (out on the) roads and express your sentiments,” the PTI chairman said.

Talking about the leadership crisis in the country, he said, at the time of partition, Pakistan had the best universities in the entire Muslim world but due to the shortsightedness of its successive leaders, all sectors moved from bad to worse, be it education, health or economy.

Asking students to have a vision and ambition, the PTI chairman argued that those who compromised on their goals always faced defeat in the end.

Leaders through their leadership always help build the morale of their nation, but unfortunately, here in Pakistan, it happened otherwise as the present lot of leaders, led by Gen Musharraf, who let the self esteem of the general masses down through their actions.

“Every time they come on TV the shamelessly argue that had they not supported the USA after 9/11, Pakistan would have suffered the worst,” the cricketer-turned politician said.

Mr Khan referred to the former prime minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Muhammad, who within two decades made his nation both rich and educated.

He said Pakistan needed an “education emergency,” so that everyone had equal opportunity to get quality education, unlike the present class-based system; one for the rich and other for the poor.

To another question, Mr Khan said until the country had an independent election commission and judiciary, it was not possible to have democracy.

“Since partition, the judiciary had helped the powerful, and it’s the first time when a Chief Justice has taken stand against the Chief of the Army Staff, therefore, everyone of us should support him,” he concluded.