“Do you reckon Zardari sahib is losing his political cunning?”

“’Nah, it’s like biking – once you learn you never forget.”

“But after travelling in a bullet proof Mercedes for decades and not biking at all one does get rusty you know.”

“Is that the Mercedes gifted by Qaddafi and procured at 25 percent from tosha khana.”

“You Khanzadehs are just too much – well from where I am sitting Zardari sahib was more transparent than The Khan because his purchase, legal purchase, of many, many, bullet proof Mercedes was publicly known, now The Khan is still not telling what gift he kept…”

“Hmm, the next prime minister will surely release that information.”

“Right, but anyway when I asked if Zardari sahib is losing his political cunning I was referring to Gilani sahib becoming a general dumping ground by the Khanzadehs and the Nawalas for not being present in the senate when the State Bank of Pakistan amendment bill was tabled…”

“I don’t agree — I mean this is not the first time, nor the second but the third time Gilani sahib has shall we say become compromised…”

“You aren’t referring to the necklace given by Turkish President’s wife to be sold and the money used for the flood victims that Gilani sahib mistakenly took home…”

“Did he take it home after paying the 25 percent charge to the tosha khana?”

“I don’t think so, see it was not a gift so it was never handed over to the tosha khana and Gilani then returned it after the PML-N came to power…and then Angelina Jolie complained about the lavish food he served her at the taxpayers’ expense and he invited his relatives when Pakistanis were suffering from the natural disaster…”

“No these politically stupid decisions were on Gilani himself; Zardari sahib made him prime minister on the premise that he would do as instructed and he did and was not only shunted out of this position but was also disqualified for five years, then he was made leader of the opposition in the senate under shall we say controversial conditions and now this…”

“Right, but see the SBP bill was a done deal, the powers that be were not going to go half way to meet the conditions for the IMF tranche release – half way with the supplementary finance bill and the rest of the way with the SBP bill. But Zardari sahib couldn’t ask Rabbani or Sherry Rehman to not be present, they have a reputation to protect and…”

“What about Banana Man – I mean he is known for routinely not opting for the truth?”

“Gilani was so much easier to be instructed…to be brought down to size yet again…”

“So you reckon Zardari sahib’s political cunning is in place.”

“Very much so and second to none – not to Nawaz Sharif and certainly not to The Khan.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022