MY three and a half decades of political struggle was made possible by my belief in certain values that are the foundation of a just society.

I have never regarded the attainment of political office as a legitimate goal unless that enables one to make changes in society that one considers essential. If the struggle of the Tehrik-i-Istiqlal over these years inspires some to work for a change in our society so that the life of the suffering people is made a little better, I would feel that we have been successful in our mission. Those who associated with me in this struggle believed in certain values which have been outlined briefly in the following pages.

Character

If the values that the founder of Pakistan had given us were to be summed up in one word, it would be 'honesty'. This is something that is woefully lacking in our dealings and is found to be rare in our day-to-day lives. After I had left the airline, when travelling by PIA once, I found my suitcase damaged by mishandling at the airport. I wrote to the airline and asked for the suitcase to be replaced. I received no reply; so I had it repaired. After about six months, the airline sent me a cheque for the full cost of the suitcase. I returned the cheque explaining that I had had the suitcase repaired and did not now require it to be replaced. My letter must have been read by some of the PIA staff, who talked about it and this incident therefore found a mention in the Karachi newspapers.

Some years later when I had to address an ex-servicemen's gathering in Rawalpindi, the stage secretary, when introducing me, spoke of this incident about which he had read as a rare example of integrity. This was met with loud applause. What a pity, I thought, that normal behaviour of straightforwardness should be considered rare and applauded by the audience. Honesty however is not limited to financial dealings.

One knows what is right and what is wrong and should do the right thing. When I refused to machine-gun the camel caravan of the Hurs in 1942 from the air, it was because my conscience told me that the killing of unarmed civilians was not my job and was not a lawful command.

In 1958 when martial law was imposed in Pakistan, I was the C-in-C of the Pakistan Air Force and knew about it only after it had been imposed on the night of October 7. Two days later, I learnt from the press that the C-in-C of the Pakistan Navy and I, the C-in-C of the Pakistan Air Force, had been appointed deputy chief martial law administrators. Throughout this period, I performed no martial law duties, attended no martial law meetings and confined myself strictly to my professional functions.

It is important that those in authority should set an example to others of integrity and correctness of conduct in all their dealings.

 The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was once asked to advise and assist the Royal Saudi Air Force in the purchase of aircraft from the United States. I was instructed by the government to send a team of officers to accompany a Saudi prince and his team to the United States. This was done and a team of PAF officers was sent to assist in this task.

 
After a few days I received a message from the leader of the PAF team in the USA, that the head of the Saudi team, had asked the aircraft manufacturers what his personal commission would be and that this was being negotiated. I signalled our team to return to Pakistan which they did, leaving the Saudi prince and his Saudi advisers in the United States.

The Saudi government complained to President Ayub Khan and I was asked to explain. I told the president that I could not have PAF officers associate with this kind of behaviour and I think that this was the only thing to do.

 Soon after I took over PIA I found that my deputy, who was a very competent person, was also the agent for Boeing Aircraft Company and received a commission on any aircraft or equipment that the airline purchased from Boeings. I thought it improper that a senior airline executive should also represent an aircraft company that supplied it with aircraft and told him that he should choose between the airline and the Boeing company.

I told him that if he wished to retain the agency for the Boeing aircraft company he should resign from the airline. He explained that he could not leave his link with Boeings and therefore resigned from the PIA.

It was I thought unethical, that a person should hold an important office in the airlines and at the same time represent an aircraft manufacturing company. This gentleman came back some years later as the chief executive of the airline.

 My brother Afzal was in the dairy business and had a contract with the PIA for the supply of dairy products. On taking over the airline, one of the first things I did was to terminate his contract. This arrangement with the PIA was the source of more than 50 per cent of his income. Although I had nothing to do with this arrangement and I had no share in his business, I thought that it was not proper that he should do business with the airline as long as I was its chief executive.

Leadership

Leadership is that quality which inspires others to follow. A leader of men is one towards whom others turn in difficulty and from whom they expect guidance and direction. This quality is important for a nation in peace as well as in war, but whereas its absence in peace may cause inefficiency and social or economic decay, its absence in war will almost certainly spell disaster.

It is a quality that may be either inherited or acquired. It is influenced by environment and upbringing, by the social and economic structure of a society, by the faith and belief of a people and above all by example.

 Leaders of men are to be found in every walk of life. Amongst thieves and robbers, priests and administrators, generals and privates, business executives and workers. Each in his own group stands out as a person whom others acknowledge as their superior. Whether such a person is in a position of authority or not is not really relevant. A true leader will stand out regardless of official recognition. His influence on his fellow men is generally greater if his actions are backed by formal authority but this need not always be so.

Whatever his occupation, there are certain traits of character that will generally stand out as common denominators in a wide cross section of society. There are other qualities that are of secondary importance but which do nevertheless assist in the acceptability of a person as a leader of men.

Knowledge and Courage

Perhaps the most important requirement in a leader is knowledge. He must know his profession to command respect. No one will willingly follow a person if he does not know his job, and only if he knows it well, will he evoke respect and attention. This applies with even greater force when safety and security are involved. If there is danger, people will follow a person only if they feel that he knows what he is doing.

 Courage is another quality that is admired by all human beings in varying degrees. Courage can be moral or physical, and both have a relationship with integrity. It is only a man of integrity who will show moral courage, and even physical courage is usually to be found among people who cherish certain principles of behaviour born of a sense of integrity.

But physical courage is not the preserve of the virtuous; for greed, ambition and an inferiority complex have often led to acts of valour by otherwise ordinary people who could by no means be considered men of integrity. Moral courage is, therefore, the higher of the two virtues.

One who has moral courage will usually, though not always, show physical courage, but a person who has physical courage alone may well be devoid of intellectual honesty and reliability. Those who possess both are admired by others and have one of the important qualities that people look for in those whom they would be prepared to accept as their leaders.

Power of Decision

Since a leader must lead there is nothing as frustrating, to those who expect to be led, as indecisiveness. The greater the sphere of influence or authority, the greater the need for this important quality. The more complex an organisation and the more diverse the responsibilities, the more necessary it is for the leader to provide that guidance and direction which is the sole justification for this presence. Too often is this quality lacking in people holding top executive appointments, leading to frustration and inefficiency which is as widespread as their sphere of responsibility.

Social Qualities

Social conduct is another quality which has an important bearing on the acceptability of a leader. Social conduct, like integrity, means different things to different people, but there is always a generally accepted standard in every society and a leader must not deviate too far from the standards regarded as normal by those he expects to lead. The higher the standard of a man's personal social conduct, the greater generally will be his acceptability.

 Of these qualities which are not so essential, but which are desirable and have an important influence on a man's acceptability as a leader, perhaps the most important is compassion. The ability to feel genuinely for the well-being of one's fellowmen, and particularly for those less fortunate than oneself, is a quality which is universally appreciated by all human beings.

It creates an atmosphere of respect and affection which facilitates control and direction. The feeling of compassion must, however, be genuine, for it is surprising how quickly people will see through any spurious attitude of concern for the welfare of others.

 Some of these qualities will be seen, while others have to be conveyed or transmitted. It is, therefore, necessary that a person should be able to communicate his views, thoughts and wishes to others in an effective manner. The ability to speak intelligently, logically and concisely is, therefore, an important attribute of leadership. If speech helps to impress people, so does appearance. The impression that a person conveys by his appearance will undoubtedly have some effect on people, especially on those who do not have the opportunity of seeing a leader from close quarters and thus of forming opinions about his strength and weaknesses.

Importance of Selection

These, then, are some of the qualities that leadership demands. Their relative importance will vary according to the values that society sets on these things from time to time, but it will be rare that a 'leader' emerges in a healthy society if he is devoid of the important attributes which have for centuries influenced man's relations with other human beings.

There are, however, times in the lives of nations when moral values are at such a low ebb that the mantle of leadership falls on people who do not measure up to the standards normally associated with the high personal qualities that civilised people expect from persons they would like to follow.

Those are, however, temporary conditions which do not alter the accepted standards of human judgment and social relationship.

There will always be times when the 'appointed' leaders prove unworthy of the responsibilities that they are required to shoulder. That is often a question of selection rather than of human values.

The ability to choose subordinates, though fundamental to the success of a leader, has not always been essential to his emergence.

Ability to Choose

Of all the qualities of a leader, perhaps the most important for success is the ability to choose. It is certainly the hardest to acquire and, when acquired, the hardest to keep. It is generally not something that is inherited.

It is a quality that is developed largely by an intelligent study of human nature and of human conduct, by acquiring a correct sense of values, by observing a high standard of moral and intellectual discipline, and by maintaining the same standard of integrity in one's own dealings as one looks for in others.

Only people who possess these virtues can value them in others, and it is rare that people who have not taken the trouble to develop these qualities can appreciate these in other men.

Birds of a Feather

The normal rules of human conduct usually ensure that a talented person, a man of virtue and a man of ability and knowledge, will generally choose as his subordinates people who possess in some degree, the qualities that he himself values; whereas an incompetent person, or one devoid of integrity will generally surround himself with people who are equally incompetent or dishonest. The reasons are not far to seek.

An efficient person will only remain so by setting himself a high standard and by not accepting the second best in his work. He can be a man of integrity only if he has striven to remain straight in his dealings with others and has remained true to his conscience. He will not generally tolerate people who are incompetent or dishonest and will rid himself of them at the earliest opportunity.

The incompetent person, on the other hand, will not see things the same way. His standard of judgment will be influenced by his own level of integrity and competence. If he does not possess these qualities himself, he will generally not expect these in others. Often, he will be aware of his shortcomings and will invite flattery and enjoy servility. If he happens to have competent subordinates, he will feel uncomfortable in their company. If they are honest and he does not possess this virtue, he will find this an added embarrassment.

An intelligent person, if he has a conscience, will find it difficult to hide his contempt for an incompetent superior, and this feeling will become apparent sooner or later. His presence will therefore be an embarrassment, and he will be
removed on some pretext or the other.

If his ability and integrity are well known, there will be other reasons given. 'Disloyal', 'arrogant', 'temperamental' are some of the labels that are usually hung for such purposes, and it is only when he surrounds himself with equally incompetent persons, that the incompetent superior begins to feel comfortable.

He is then the acknowledged 'leader' in the group, the fountain of all knowledge, the one to whom others look with apparent respect and admiration