PARTLY FACETIOUS: Bilawal and his dad complement each other

“In economics the concept of complement and substitute are very important.”

“And that would interest me because?”

“The two are critical in policy making, let me explain – complement is like salt and pepper…”

“I don’t use pepper on my eggs, only salt…”

“Don’t be facetious, anyway say the bulk of your value added exports use cotton as a major input and you begin to support sugarcane output…”

“Ha, ha, well look at this way, our administrations - previous and the incumbent - cater to the country’s sweet tooth and need I add that’s where the votes are……”

“I will ignore your facetious comment; substitute is when you take one and not the other – for example if you use Colgate toothpaste you aren’t likely to buy Forhan’s – or vice versa and where substitutes are concerned you can have collusion and viola you have mafias a la The Khan.”

“What if you prefer the local dandasa, the peel from the walnut tree, I mean I hear it’s very effective and was in use in this part of the world before the market was inundated with so many toothpastes that are so much easier to…”

“Right, but I still don’t get your recent obsession with complements and substitutes?”

“Bilawal Bhutto and his dad complement each other and I reckon his recent attacks against The Khan and Nawaz Sharif are designed to attract some electables disgruntled with The Khan and wary of the confrontational politics of the Elder Sharif and are an attempt to present PPP as a substitute for the 2023 elections…”

“Right, and when Bilawal gets carried away the dad has deniability if he wants to forge ties with any party by saying that he is young and emotional…”

“Precisely, but Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz are substitutes while Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif complement each other.”

“Maryam Nawaz is following the Benazir route – she was also the substitute for her dad Z A Bhutto.”

“Yes, not during his lifetime.”

“I see, so that is why Shehbaz Sharif remains relevant and Maryam Nawaz is given the shut up call.”

“Yes to become daddy’s true heir, she mustn’t parrot him, or insist on being his substitute or mouth piece, she must complement him.”

“But whatever she does or does not do once he is no longer a factor in politics she will have to establish her leadership credentials like Benazir Bhutto did very effectively though it took her quite a while.”

“Hmmm, our politicians don’t think that far ahead.”

“Hmm, predicting the future is…is…”

“Is the forte of a few non-politicians…”

“Pir sahib Shah Mehmud Qureshi…”

“Stop right there.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021