“The Khan has come of age.”

“I would hope so, I mean when you pass the goal of 70 then…”

“The Khan understands cricket analogy not football.”

“OK, so he has made more than 70 runs…”

“I don’t think The Khan ever made 70 runs in one game – I mean he was a bowler silly not a batsman though when push came to shove he did score but never 70…”

“Alright, so he has taken more than 70 wickets in his career…”

“As a politician I don’t think so.”

“He has a majority in the National Assembly — surely that means more than 70…”

“Ah I see what you mean, anyway The Khan has come of age as he pretty much does what his hated predecessors did – cutting more than a couple of ribbons a day, over exposure in the media, the same speech again and again, including the word kamyaab in projects that have just been launched, and…”

“And the most baffling commonality of them all: he succeeded in alienating an institution whose support…”

“Stop, that was all because of the importance Notification Khan gives to notifications so don’t go there.”

“Hmmm, but anyway that is also The Khan’s temperament: I believe a foreign publisher has offered an advance of 10 million dollars for writing a book titled How to lose friends and dissipate the influence you had.”

“But you know I reckon The Khan has one thing in common with a prime minister aspirant Maryam Nawaz which is to claim full credit for the numbers in a jalsa even if the area MNA or MPAs had been tasked to collect the people and blame it on them when the crowds are thin…”

“The Khan has the government machinery now to ensure heavy attendance at his jalsas — I mean even when Nawaz Sharif was disqualified after the Panama papers, but his party ruled the roost in Islamabad and Punjab, the throngs of people who attended his jalsas…”

“Hey you say tomaato the English way and I say it the American way — don’t look so puzzled, I mean to say that when Nawaz Sharif was on his way back to Lahore after being de-seated the people came to see him because of government machinery being used but that doesn’t apply to The Khan…”

“I guess you are making a reference to the party’s performance in the local bodies elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa…”

“Right and Maryam Nawaz’s team members include the have nots…”

“Have nots as in?”

“Have nots as in not having been elected, have nots in as not being very bright, have nots in….”

“She has daddy.”

“Alright that’s have but anyway post local bodies elections The Khan changed his team to even a worse team….”

“Wait and see my friend, wait and see.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021