Asif Zardari

In the first four months after assuming the presidency last September, he made nine foreign trips costing Rs150m. He took off within a week of taking oath. This matter is a serious one and cannot be ignored. The country is in flames, hundreds of thousands are being uprooted from their homes in the north because of the army action in the Malakand division, the Taliban are retaliating and an economic meltdown is looming large.

It is shocking that the person at the helm who should be instilling courage in a despondent nation is not at the scene and is away on foreign jaunts. It is but natural to expect a person in a position of leadership, especially holding high office, to have a visible presence among the people in their hour of crisis. No captain worth his salt abandons his ship at a time of crisis. He remains on the deck. This analogy can be extended in part to Pakistan which is like a rudderless ship. Leadership by remote control doesn’t really work. With the 17th Amendment in place, the president wields the actual power. The prime minister publicly puts all key decisions on hold to await Mr Zardari’s attention. What this country needs are leaders with courage, compassion and a vision — leaders who do not shy away from crowds and are not averse to visiting conflict-hit areas be they Swat or Balochistan.

He has to take some serious steps and go out there in the refugee camps to know what the people has been through. He has been elected by the people So it is his duty to assure IDPs proper rehabilitation and relief. But he is hiding from the scene. It is high time for him to emerge as a leader. If he keep hiding from the people soon he will be forgotten.