Towards national consensus

The current joint session of Parliament reminds me of Mao Te Sung's famous observation that "the 1st step in the right direction, in a thousand miles long journey, is the most important step." In a country of 165 million people, torn with conflicting political views and even ethnic rift, it would be no less than a miracle to expect readymade solutions to the complex challenges facing Pakistan. There are divergent views even about the nature of the crisis and the causes of the malady from which the nation suffer. For example, while the government and the political parties supporting it strongly feel that Pakistan has become a victim of the War On Terror to the extent that it is left with no other option but to respond accordingly through, what has come to be known as a three-pronged strategy.