ARTICLE: "One disaster after another, pandemic and then urban flooding..."

"There is one looming disaster that has been with us for more than two decades and need I add it seems to continue in spite of claims that we have hit rock bottom and the only way is up...."

"Look at the glass as half full."

"From where I am sitting the glass is close to empty, not half empty, close to completely empty..."

"Are you a Nawala....Nawaz Sharif's supporter happy with just one bite out of the large pie...."

"Hey that bite is equal to an entire year's expenditure for me and I am not a beneficiary of Benazir Income Support Programme or ehsass though you know I can't figure out this obsession with the word ehsass, I mean it simply means feeling..."

"I reckon The Khan's definition is feeling for the destitute by the country's prime minister...."

"Oh I see but wouldn't it be better to refer to it as the Khanzadeh programme, that way the programme would not only be dedicated to The Khan but also the province that first gave him a chance at government and then re-elected his party..."

"No, us Lahori's don't like to name any charitable activity on those still alive..."

"Neither did the PPP, Benazir had been assassinated by then and...."

"Right so anyway a better name would have been Insaaf card, you think?"

"And that wouldn't have raised a red flag? I mean that would be at par with conferring the position of special assistant to the prime minister to foreign nationals/foreign iqama holders......"

"Ha ha as if that is any skin off The Khan's bones.... anyway I have a suggestion, only those iqama holders or dual nationals be allowed to take part in our political process who have remitted more than 50 percent of their earnings back home each year they were out...I mean isn't there a concern that those who want to enter politics never remitted any money while those who remit more than 80 percent of their earnings never enter the political process."

"Good idea but that ain't happening. Anyway going back to the economic disaster that has been with us for more than three decades with each government including The Khan administration claiming after a period of two years that the take off stage has arrived and three decades later the take off has yet to take place...."

"How can you say that the current account surplus..."

"Inflation is high, salaries cut and unemployment is rising and ehsaas is not enough to...."

"Hey we are being run by a government which has succeeded in finally grounding the national airline - not by using it as the recruitment centre for the party in power, and that happened during the Zardari led government, and not by appointing heads of the airline including a German who were all unable to manage the company and reduce losses, and that was during the Nawaz Sharif era, but through just a statement and that honour goes to The Khan administration and I hear Virgin Atlantic has filled the gap left by PIA!"

"And that proves my point - you can't import foreign proverbs - I mean there is an English saying that sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."

"Ha ha."

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020