“The entire country is seeing the glass as half full but for the life of me I don’t see why.” “What in the world are you referring to?”
“Well I call it the cascading effect and this is not, I repeat, not a reference to the trickle-down theory that all our finance ministers, barring none, have supported but the only thing that has trickled down to the public or shall I say non-elite are higher electricity charges with a healthy dose of taxes, higher petroleum levy that means our transport costs are higher, higher current expenditure which has resulted in unsustainable budget deficits that in turn is highly inflationary for me and you, a tax structure that is heavily skewed in favour of indirect taxes that are very regressive in nature…”
“Wow that’s one mouthful! The list is so very exhaustive that I reckon your glass is empty…”
“OK but…”
“But you must be thankful…”
“Excuse me?”
“There is no need for indignation my friend – you should be thankful that you still have the glass is all I meant.”
“Don’t be facetious.”
“The glass can be filled and if you draw a leaf from our administrations – past and present – then let me suggest that you borrow money…”
“This is no matter for jokes.”
“Anyway I wasn’t referring to the state of the economy when I said the glass is half full. I meant the hue and cry that the government has selected the chief of army staff on seniority alone must be seen with respect to the summary date – had it been requested and submitted before the 19 of this month then the seniority list would have been different, and if it had been requested on the 27 of this month…”
“I get it so one must appreciate The Khan’s direction to Alvi not to delay the signing for what 25 off days…”
“Three things my friend. First the government had already stayed the retirement date of their selection for the next chief so The Khan was left holding the whatever he would like to hold. Second Alvi requested and was given the Prime Minister’s plane to visit Lahore so that was for show.”
“And finally?”
“And finally I would urge the new chief to take on a role that he undertook when he was chief ISI….”
“No politics anymore.”
“No I was referring to a new role that of ensuring that any ongoing corruption wherever it may be must be stopped summarily…”
“Ha ha ha.”
“What?”
“That may well make it a twelve party coalition as opposed to the existing eleven party…”
“Glass must be seen as half full.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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