“There is one thing in common between Dar and Ismail.” “Yes, holding the portfolio of finance but there the similarity ends – Dar held it four times, only once less than three months in Gilani’s cabinet - while Ismail kept Dar’s seat warm both times by succeeding preceding him respectively and…”

“And no one told him that is what he was hired to do, which accounts for Ismail crying his heart out now.”

“Ha ha ha, and Dar is reaping the benefits…so what’s new!”

“In defence of Dar I would like to note what I consider criminal negligence on the part of Ismail not to mention the floods in the Letter of Intent he signed off middle of August…”

“Agreed, the flood victims, all 33 million, as well as the rest of us non-elites paid a heavy price because of his failure to mention the floods which justified the International Monetary Fund’s harsh upfront tight monetary and fiscal policies before releasing the tranche early September…”

“OK two things first Dar briefed the Asian Development Bank’s team on the extent of flood damage but if I recall the ADB was involved with the World Bank in the initial flood assessment report, and second if you think Dar chose the timing of his appointment then I don’t agree – Dar came when the clock struck twelve…”

“I hear the ADB team synchronized Dar’s claims with their own report and there were serious discrepancies besides what do you mean when you say the clock striking twelve.”

“Don’t be facetious”

“The expression in Urdu, that the clock has struck twelve for someone, refers to someone’s mental state that is not at its peak to put it nicely.”

“Oh! Just a bit of background - in 1998 Dar took over in November after the US withdrew sanctions against India and Pakistan and took the country on an IMF programme, in 2013 he took the country on an IMF programme but now he is engaged in renegotiating the terms of the IMF programme and so the situation is slightly different…so let’s see what happens.”

“Hmmm anyway there is one element that the two men have in common. And that is their love of the camera. I was tired of two to three time daily Ismail dose on our television, and Dar is following suit.”

“You are wrong.”

“I am sorry I don’t agree – I saw him.”

“Ismail was not a one man show ever, Dar is a one man show though he likes backups that we the public pay for from our tax rupees…”

“His back up is Nawaz Sharif so shut up because there is no putting up.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022