“The Khan is exhibiting characteristics that are markedly similar to those of his nemesis – the elder Sharif.”

“OK, so he has been cutting ribbons - feetay as he used to say derisively when Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister went around the country inaugurating all sorts of projects funded on the taxpayers’ money…”

“You reckon the use of the word feetay by The Khan (BPM) used more often for shoe laces…”

“BPM? Beat per minute as in the heart rate?”

“Good heavens no, it stands for Before he became Prime Minister.”

“Don’t be facetious, anyway in spite of all the feetay cutting, all the pledges for finances made in Peshawar and the winner was Maulana Diesel in the local bodies elections!”

“I reckon all the independents who won in the KPK local bodies elections may join the ruling.”

“There is a lesson learned here: however popular a party leader may think he is the fact remains that sustained inflation is unlikely to sustain the party’s vote bank. Anyway when I said The Khan is exhibiting the same characteristics as his nemesis I was referring to Nawaz Sharif’s proclivity to make the same mistake again and again and again just so he can prove he was right the first time…”

“Has he proved that till now?”

“No, but he is ideologically committed to proving this and need I add he is firmly on the path to making the same mistake…ooops sorry, the same non-mistake a fourth time with one proviso: all the bad things that have been done to him are erased…”

“Don’t be facetious, so what is this mistake that The Khan has made again?”

“The treatment of girls/women in Afghanistan – he says it should be seen within the context of Afghan culture…”

“Culture as determined by the Taliban?”

“Well, I guess yes…”

“He said that in KPK, a culture similar to that of the Pashtuns Taliban, parents did not accept money for sending their girls to school while if their culture was taken into account they sent their girls to school with no payment…”

“And what did that entail? How did The Khan’s government in KPK convince the Pashtun parents to send their girls to school with no payment?”

“He didn’t say but he did urge the Americans…”

“Surely he must realize that the West is concerned about his statements on rape, his statements on Afghan culture with respect to treatment of girls/women who comprise almost 50 percent of the population, his insistence on…”

“Where is that Jemima when Pakistan needs her!”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021