“How would you define a man?” “I presume you mean apart from the obvious physical…”

“Yep.”

“Oh I get it – you are thinking of the reference to Billo Rani by Sheikh Rashid!”

“There are male cats and female cats…”

“Right but the word Rani means queen so Queen of the Cats has to be female wouldn’t you say?”

“Sheikh Rashid’s comment was in reference to Bilawal Bhutto’s warning to the President to promptly sign off on the appointment of the next chief of army staff.”

“Well I am not sure as the powerful have a history of ensuring obedience but surely someone must have asked him to make that comment. But for the information of The Sheikh, a Foreign Minister, especially the leader of the second largest party in the coalition government, has more powers than the President.”

“Indeed, anyway going back to the definition of man I would say that smoking a cigar does not make a man.”

“OK how about growing a moustache?”

“If I recall correctly Parveen Rashid sports a moustache as well.”

“Two things my friend, first get that dratted keyboard replaced and second the two are not related though they have one common feature: they are both followers and depend on another for a ministry and a follower can never ever be an alpha male.”

“And Bilawal Bhutto is not a follower therefore he is an alpha male!”

“Precisely – the Biblical reference the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace which is a positive reference for the meek as the meek will never fight but bring about peace….”

“That’s not how we translate that phrase in this country – the meek can never aspire to a Bilawal House, or Raiwind or Bani Gala or…”

“So how will you define a man?”

“If you are talking politics I would say someone who learns from his mistakes…”

“Can’t apply that to too many of our politicians.”

“Agreed and you can’t apply that principle to Sheikh Rashid anymore because this is the first time he is no longer welcome at gate number 4.”

“Ah so a first time mistake, but there are others who were welcome at that gate at one time and not any more……”

“Don’t confuse a leader with a follower.”

“Right and how would you define a woman leader?”

“A Pakistani woman politician thinks very much like her male counterpart except she is better eye candy…”

“But The Khan broke that mold…”

“A word of advice: don’t confuse mould with mold – you could get into serious trouble.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022