“I don’t understand this obsession with who will lead the PML-N into the next elections.”

“That has to be decided by Nawaz Sharif – Pakistan’s most close-mouthed leader…”

“Confucius says it is better to give acting charge to a brother who is acceptable to the establishment rather than to insist on one’s own and daughter’s redemption from convictions because neither is acceptable to the establishment.”

“Don’t be facetious – Confucius never said that – he lived from 551 BC to 479 BC.”

“Right, but the Chinese still quote him don’t they?”

“We as a nation have never learnt from history. Take the case of Nawaz Sharif, the same mistakes again and again and again and…”

“Oye stop, he has been the prime minister only three times, so you can only say again three times.”

“Right, anyway as a diehard Nawala, I only pray that the next time he makes the same mistake it goes in his favour – for national interest we must break this vicious cycle.”

“Now who is being facetious – besides he also learnt from history that exile - rather pleasant living in a palace in Saudi Arabia and now his luxurious flat in London and…and…wait let me finish…his first exile ended and he subsequently became the prime minister so…”

“So it depends on which aspect of history one learns from hunh!”

“Precisely, so Nawaz Sharif is waiting for the opportunity to have his conviction overturned and then if his party wins enough seats to form a government he will be back in the prime minister house as soon as you can say booo.”

“Boooo.”

“Oh shush, anyway Confucius was not a Muslim…”

“For Pete’s sake.”

“And lived before the establishment of Medina ki riyasat.”

“Dear me.”

“Anyway Confucius said that virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire but I have never seen a man die from treading virtue, he said.”

“As I said he was not a Muslim and…”

“It is wise to learn from a wise man…”

“I don’t think Confucius is well known in this country in spite of our close ties with China and…”

“Chi Wan, a political figure of his time, told Confucius that he thought three times before taking action and Confucius said twice is enough.”

“Ha, ha, I guess he was being sarcastic but you know The Khan government thought more than three times before going on the Fund programme – twice would have been enough.”

“Nah that’s not true – they thought twice but the thinking process was kinda long - nine months.”

“Boooo.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021