ARTICLE: "The Khan should stop pressurizing his Band of Merry Men to deliver - I can see the manifestations of the pressure, not pretty, on some..."

"First of all what do you mean by Band of Merry Men? The Khan is progressive and believes in gender neutral appointments and..."

"How come there are so few women in his cabinet?"

"Few PTI women are elected, most are selected as you know; besides 20 or more men were inducted in his party on the promise of a cabinet position..."

"Is that because women are more loyal than men?"

"Fehmida Mirza....."

"She may not be loyal to Zardari-led PPP but she is very loyal to her husband."

"Indeed anyway I reckon few women actually contest elections....you have Yasmin Rashid, you have Zartaj Gul, and majority of the rest are selected not elected."

"Why did you mention a provincial elected member above a federal...."

"Because if I recall correctly the former First Daughter backed off from contesting an election against Yasmin Rashid..."

"Hmmm speaking of the former First Daughter I reckon she is the spoiler - Dad and Uncle have a strategy - you know good cop who acknowledges political realities and bad cop who sometimes doesn't...."

"But the First Daughter...."

"She upsets the applecart and she maybe the darling of the media because she is certainly better looking than daddy and uncle or indeed other political leaders, and makes good copy and yes her jalsas are very well attended but I reckon she has been unable to widen her control over the party notwithstanding the position conferred on her by daddy..."

"You know with her mum gone I reckon her own brothers are not supporting her stance and daddy is with the brothers these days not here in Pakistan so their influence is greater."

"Right and during her last press conference she was able to collect only those who were and are unelected but elevated to positions of power during the PML-N tenure..."

"Shahid Khaqan Abbasi..."

"He was reportedly supported by The Former First Daughter and her mum..."

"Right but anyway what I wanted to say was that The Khan should lay off those he selected - I mean Shahzad Akbar's one eye looked smaller than the other during his last press briefing and..."

"Oh that is just due to redistribution of weight - the expanding girth sent some excess to the face which was accommodated around the left eye..."

"So not a health concern."

"I reckon not but given this administration's failure to evaluate the health risks, in spite of The Khan's contribution to health care in the country..."

"Don't be facetious."

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020