“The art of deflection is a key tool in politics and the more adept an artist the more successful the politician.”

“Who said that?”

“I did. Take the case of Boris Johnson. Number 10 and staff, including Johnson, were attending parties during the time they had imposed a strict lockdown on the rest of the country and his deflection: Ukraine and I reckon he should thank Putin…”

“But it isn’t working.”

“Well no so now he is breaking the Brexit deal he made with respect to England’s border with Ireland though I am not sure the British are in a forgiving mood.”

“Agreed, I still recall the Queen sitting alone in church at her husband’s funeral as per the Covid 19 protocol established by Johnson at the time and it was later revealed after an investigation that the very same evening Johnson and his staff were partying…though he hasn’t stopped apologizing since.”

“Was it an investigation or an opinion?”

“Investigation.”

“Who carried it out? The court?”

“A court does not have the capacity to investigate though it can call on investigating agencies…”

“Shut up!”

“OK, anyway The Khan in a recent interview to Piers Morgan said that had the same thing happened here in Pakistan it would not have been an issue and the fact that Johnson is in trouble on this account is because the moral standards in the UK are high.”

“It’s not the moral standards that are high it is the establishment of the rule of law that no government, including The Khan’s, bothered to strengthen in this country…but to put the record straight I do recall that it was pointed out to The Khan and some of his cabinet ministers who appeared without masks at the time to follow their own protocol and they did.”

“Anyway The Khan’s narrative of conspiracy to change his regime is perhaps a deflection from the adjustment of the 190 million pounds remitted by UK’s Fraud Office to Pakistan with the hefty penalty the same accused was to pay as per the court orders in Pakistan…”

“And viola The Khan and his wife become trustees of 438 kanals prime land and The Former First Friend gets 200 kanals and…”

“And then there is sale of the gifts given to The Khan and wife after he became the prime minister, the objective to strengthen their assets…”

“All declared my friend but does The Khan realize that the government too is reaping some benefits from his conspiracy narrative, I mean the petrol rates have been raised yet again and…”

“Nah, I reckon like someone said about Shirin Mazari, Miftah Ismail is a suicide bomber for his own side…”

“Do the two have a counterpart in PPP?”

“No, not quite, mistakes are made, penalties in terms of self-imposed exile are paid, and then all is well.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022