The past sixty years are a compelling warning that we, as a nation and state, stand at crossroads today and have to rethink and review our policies and actions. It is of paramount importance to study the root of all our problems and decide all matters through collective wisdom. The sensible approach is to involve academia for research and ask social scientists, psychologists, demographers, historians, in short those learned in social sciences and humanities, to play a definite role in managing our national problems. The guidelines for research and objectives need to be explicitly stated. The objective is to create a cohesive, united, disciplined and tolerant nation that is economically sovereign. That has to be done essentially by harnessing the soft power of our society to promote peace in the country. Initially, we need to have think tanks in our universities to take up research on various problems. The Chairman, Higher Education Commission or a Vice Chancellor may be made the coordinator. The research cells can be constituted in Punjab University, LUMS, Multan University, Islamabad University, Peshawar University, Bolan University, Sindh University, Karachi University, etc. The Chairman, Higher Education Commission, in consultation with the Vice Chancellors of these universities can assign problems to these think tanks after a consolidated list has been made by our national leaders. Each group should be given a time frame for submitting their findings and recommendations. Their deliberations should result in a series of suggestions and doable actions. The reports and recommendations should be made public so that all concerned institutions and the society as a whole can debate them before appropriate measures are taken to enforce them. -C. M. SALEEM, Lahore, September 30.