ARTICLE: "So only 40 members from the Opposition can physically attend the budget presentation; I reckon it maybe plain sailing for whoever reads out the budget speech, don't you think!"

"Well, I reckon the 40 against 46 from the treasury benches is in the same ratio as if all members of the assembly were attending. I mean the government has support of 182 members, including its coalition partners, and the opposition has 155..."

"But the Opposition is not united, if you know what I mean, while the coalition partners are not likely to challenge the government's budget whatever it maybe..."

"And that is different from previous administrations?"

"OK, no but still..."

"And who comes out dominant during the budget speech will depend on the selection process my friend."

"Sorry?"

"Well think of it as a game of chess - you have Khawaja Asif, the old toothless Lion, who can be checkmated by Murad Saeed, the young tiger ..."

"Excuse me, but Nawaz Sharif's party's emblem is tiger..."

"There you go: The Khan has cleverly neutralized the Sharifs election symbol...just like he subsumed Benazir Income Support Programme with Ehsaas..."

"Don't be facetious, in any case Khawaja Asif will get a tooth implant as soon as the Sharifs return to power."

"I won't deign to comment on that, anyway you have Ahsan Iqbal and Shahid Khaqan Abassi out of the game, Covid19 victims, Shahbaz Sharif may not be able to attend as a cancer survivor and..."

"Bilawal will attend I reckon and he speaks very well."

"OK but then the 46 tigers will out-noise him."

"Out-noise?"

"I reckon that's a word we can contribute to the English language, there is lotaism and now out-noising one's opponents."

"Will the Prime Minister attend?"

"I think so and no one will out-noise him because he won't speak, he will listen to the budget speech, engage in desk thumping and then leave."

"Amen to that."