It is said that history is the biography and record of the deeds of personalities, hence making history the history of personalities. Some might disagree with this assumption but the perception still remains as one of the theories explaining and defining human history. The human history is comprised of the traitors, thinkers, tyrant political butchers, the endeavourer writers wanting to change the course of time and fate, and the lives of emperors written on the bloods of oppressed and usurped peoples – one can be included in a historical slot, without being good or bad.

A visionary leader is someone, who guides the nation on a right path, leave some rules to be followed, and makes result oriented policies. For instance, take examples of this era: Nehru of India, Kennedy of States, Erbakan and Erdogan of Turkey, Lula of Brazil, Mahathir of Malaysia, Mandela of South Africa and Khomeini of Iran. These, who had not only, have a greater impact on their respective countries’ forthcoming policies, but importantly, they had applied result oriented policies, which really do work.
All mentioned countries became role models for others. Take for instance the ‘Turkish Model’, although, now entangled within herself, within her philosophy of ‘Strategic depth’ and ‘Zero Problems with Neighbours’ doctrine, But, without any doubt, its 2003-2011 era was an adorable one.

Afghanistan is now a land fed up of Land lords, hardcore conservatives, liberal fascists and the so called hereditary politicians. The political class had failed to produce the brilliance and geniuses of Amanullah Khan, Mahmud Tarzi, Musa Shafeeq and Sardar Dawood Khan. The first mentioned one was a primal an avatar leader, later labelled ‘infidel reformer’ by few religious mullahs-cum-British propagandists. The second one was a pure nationalist-cum-pan Islamist; the architecture of modern Afghan foreign policy, the man who had not only helped the Basmachies of Central Asia against the imperialist Soviet Communists, but also became a courageous voice against the brutish British Empire in the subcontinent through his mutinous roaring SirajUlAkhbar. The third one was a bold realist foreign expert wanted to have zero problems with homeland’s neighbours, particularly with Pakistan, Iran and China, but, also, wished to come out from the Soviet sphere of influence by making adjustment in relations with the Arab and western world. In this regard he had first signed Helmand Water Treaty and later wished to solve the sentimental Pashtunistan issue with Pakistan and then pouted the soviets by saying: ‘It is not in our best interest to be in a soviet camp that threatens China’. The last one, mad in patriotism, had one goal: to place Afghanistan on the top of the list, as it was and is alphabetically. In international affairs and foreign policy he was the ‘Iron Man’ of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and had his own foreign policy doctrine, which can be greatly explained in his own words: ‘I enjoy American Cigar when I burn it on a Soviet match,’ thus je wanted to get profits from the tug of Cold War instead of, to be her prey. Although, he in his unlimited endeavours didn’t become successful, he presented sacredness by the fountain of his blood. Without these four, Afghan political class is like an infant orphan.

It becomes a cliché but the fact remains a fact that we are passing through the hardest and harsh period of our times; we are drifted with the rising corruption, being number one in it. We are drowned in the unbearable conservatism, as one might judge from the News headlines. We are being ready to be on warlords’ scaffolds, as it is seen in the last few decades.

The continuous and brutal war stretching over decades, the zero meter economy, the lingering peace, the low per capita income, and low living standards (being last on Human Development Index) are just a few to name, which are waiting for the upcoming leadership to deal with. Importantly, the debate of American Presence and No American Presence had taken place the day-to-day conversation, thus making the nation being divided in to two fronts: the pro American presence and the anti American presence, although the last one comprised the majority.

For the first time in Afghan history the upcoming election would democratically transfer power and would also change governmental administration. The new power elite must have answers to the economic, security, and political questions. These three big questions constitute the majority of Afghan Problems. The new administration must know and make endeavours to solve deficit in the balance of trade, which is now more than $8500 million (more than 95% of our total trade is Imports); they should have answers to ‘how they can change the consumerism economy into productive economy?’ ‘How can they bring peace and make an end to this marathoner war?’ ‘And what practical and realist policies they have in their pockets for the poor- which makes the majority- people of Afghanistan?’

The question may arise whether the present political class has any guts and skills to transform present thorniest situations into a favourable one or not? Irrespective of this question, Afghans would definitely require a visionary leadership to tackle the mentioned problems and in peoples perspective, a candidate who have got vision, may play in important role while casting their votes.