PARTLY FACETIOUS: Our govt has eased visas for foreigners, but there is no reciprocity

“So the visitors were placed in the jail van and….”

“Visitors really! The Hungarian Foreign Minister was a visitor, you can’t define those who go to jail to visit an inmate, even if it be The Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless, a visitor.”

“How do you define a visitor?”

“A visitor….is…is….can be random, right! I mean, visas for a visit to Pakistan are easy-peasy now.”

“True, but the reverse is not true. Our government has eased visas for foreigners, but there is no reciprocity.”

“GPS is working on it one country at a time. Anyone with a diplomatic passport can now visit Hungary and if you get a Hungarian visa, then the Schengen….”

“How many of us 24 plus million Pakistanis have a diplomatic passport….and…and wait how long would GPS have a diplomatic passport I ask you.”

“As long as his counterpart Samdhi has some say.”

“Some?”

“He will almost certainly have a say as to who will inherit his party leadership.”

“Right, but that party has to win the elections and that may not be possible if he…he….he….”

“Gotcha. Anyway, the sister of The Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless mentioned contempt of court when not allowed to visit her brother in jail.”

“Isn’t contempt of court applicable only when the court decides to take the matter up suo motu or initiate proceedings if someone else files a case of contempt?”

“You don’t have your hand on the pulse of ground realities - anyway the sisters and some other officials were led away from jail premises because they were clamouring”.

“They should realise by now that clamour is not acceptable.”

“Right, and I have to say neither is ridicule.”

“Agreed, ridicule on the social media is less acceptable than….than noisy clamour.”

“There is a US country song which I think you should listen to – it talks about a gambler who must know when to run.”

“Indeed, I am practicing for a marathon….”

“God, you are as obtuse as….as…”

“As our national party leaders?”

“I give up.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025