Sir: Ours is an unlucky generation who treaded upon its youth in the dark era of Zia. The vote was then made up for powerful; democracy or democratic norms were just few words written in books. The 11 years’ brutal rule of military dictatorship when everything was being arranged perfectly in line with his whims left behind many evils which this nation has been facing even after 30 years on. As a result of that legacy tolerance and patience became strange phenomena to this nation; only resorting to manipulations and manoeuvring by state apparatus against the pro-people forces became a strong political culture in the society. The alliances made up and elections fought after the demise of General were set on these patterns and the honour of vote was hardly allowed to take root. Ironically, Mian Nawaz Sharif who is now ardent advocate of vote’s honour was standing with the forces that were instrumental in dishonouring the vote. Perhaps nature has perfect system for the person to get back what he ever sown with seeds of his intent or practice. The same is exactly applying to the Nawaz Sharif. He is crying for the right of rule with vote for himself which he had been denying to his opponents when the vote was being used for them by the people of this country. MNS has even gone to the extent that he has declared ‘honour a vote’ a slogan of PML Noon’s election campaign. Vote was never honoured in 80s 90s 2000s. Every time people used power of vote every time the forces of doom and gloom neutralized it either by tarnishing the sanctity of ballot box or creating artificial alliances against real elected people and party. Vote is not likely to be honoured in the immediate future merely on being demanded so by a wounded politician. Non honouring the vote has in fact vanished the true leadership and politicians from the country and now in their stead only with dubious back-ground have entered into the arena of power politics the ultimate result of which witness by the nation in senate episode. If, however, Mian Nawaz Sharif is really serious about sanctity of vote then he will have to struggle very hard and for a longer time to come irrespective of the expectation that whether he would eventually live up to witness the outcome of his struggle or not because the fruit of his struggle must be availed by the next generations and that would be what a legacy a true leader leaves behind. ABDUL SAMAD CHANNA Karachi Published in Daily Times, March 17th 2018.