Partly Facetious: Finance Bill sails through NA

ARTICLE: "The Finance Bill has been passed by the assembly so nah nah nah phooh phooh."

"What are you, three-years-old?"

"All talk of a dissenting group within The Khan's party, all of 18 to 20 in number, then the Mengal group leaving the coalition, the Chaudhrys not coming to dinner..."

"I never ever said that the budget will not pass."

"But there were some..."

"Some who wanted The Khan to fall and need I add the talk was of minus one by those who would not tolerate minus one in their own parties..."

"That's true. Minus Zardari failed and if an heir by marriage can succeed in filling the shoes of his assassinated wife and negate all attempts to get rid of him as the party leader then surely those who reckon the PML-N is minus Nawaz Sharif because of a court decision must realize that perhaps they are not being farsighted enough..."

"And minus Khan too has failed and the proof is in the passage of the budget and The Khan's refusal to entertain any of the Opposition's suggestions..."

"Hmmm, but that simply strengthens the glue that binds the opposition together today....I mean..."

"Does it matter as long as the Khan is on the same page as the establishment?"

"No, but my point is never in our long history of deep political conflict has there been a year when the budget was not passed. And this would apply particularly now when the establishment is aware of the economic malaise facing the country though I am not sure it is convinced yet that the fault lies equally with the policy decisions and the coronavirus and not just the latter..."

"Agreed, but the establishment was fully on board as far as the budget was concerned and sacrificed any pay raise and I believe procurement budget was also curtailed...."

"Indeed, so there was no way the budget would not have passed."

"Okaaay!"

"I reckon with the rise in poverty, and really no one is naive enough to believe that the responsibility of this rests entirely on the Corona virus..."

"No there are the flawed policies of the past? The heavy borrowing, the..."

"Yes, but two years into the tenure of The Khan and blaming the previous administrations..."

"That narrative ain't changing. I reckon there maybe some tea and coffee stains on the page at which The Khan and the establishment are at."

"And when will the establishment turn the page without telling The Khan."

"Wait for some liquid sugar stains, maybe a drop or two of petrol, then there is..."

"You are being facetious."

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020