APROPOS your editorial ‘Colourless presidency’( Sept 10), I would concur with its interesting comments.

Since President Mamnoon Hussain has been chosen wisely by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif because he belongs to Sindh, it is expected that he would revive the traditions of Karachi of the 1950s and 1960s when every Pakistani was simply a Pakistani and rose to higher positions on merit without the baggage of creed, sex, sect or ethnicity.

President Hussain’s meteoric ascendance is a positive and self-evident proof that if merit is given due consideration, Pakistan would prosper and progress.

In the early fifties and sixties, when Mamoon grew, there was no linguistic or parochial prejudice, and every Pakistani had equal opportunities to rise and excel.

Education was the only course adopted by middle class citizens to be counted.

We often discussed in our Arambagh neighbourhood that if we were to excel, we should attain distinction in educational pursuits. While, after doing my master’s from Karachi University, I went for Central Superior Services examinations in 1961 and got appointment on merit, Mamnoon did his MBA in 1964 to excel in business in shoe manufacturing and the textile industry.

In the early days of Pakistan the Quaid-i-Azam dreamt of a Pakistan based on meritocracy and without creed and sect. The Quaid himself believed in excellence, competitiveness and discipline.

It is tragic that after the initial ideal period, Pakistan was harmed by successive martial law regimes and botched democratic governments.

Now we again have a golden opportunity, after a successful transition of power, to make a fresh beginning. We pray that our new president revives the golden era of the early days of Pakistan.

Mr President, history would not forget us of the old generation if we did not learn lesson from our dismal, recent past.

ABDUL SAEED KHAN GHORI
Karachi