“Nepotism at its very worst…” “It should not concern you – Notification Maryam Nawaz (NMN) can leave PML-N bodies in her wake but that should be no skin off your bones.”

“I assume by bodies you are referring to the growing ranks of the disenchanted Nawalas desperate for their nawala – just a bite off the pie and…”

“Hey as I said it should be no concern of yours only daddy’s concern, and his political legacy –my logic is simple: If you have a lot of assets to leave your heirs, and if you do not consider them to have the capacity to manage their finances what do you do?”

“You hire financial consultants and appoint the cream of the flood-affected crop as a beneficial owner.”

“That’s a low blow but anyway what if it’s an intangible? Say a director has a child who wants to act in films but cannot act then you can finance the entire movie if you have the resources but if the film flops then you lose all your money and your legacy may be compromised…”

“Hey there is always an out – he or she can be made a director – telling actors how to act?”

“But…but…”

“I have spoken, anyway technically today isn’t Nawaz Sharif’s heir today Shehbaz Sharif?”

“Hmmm, not quite – SS is an interim measure to be demoted as soon as a more permanent aspirant ascends the throne, NMN is his heir and…”

“Begone all ye uncles.”

“Comparisons with Benazir Bhutto are not accurate. First BB was under 25 when her daddy died, NMN is nearing 50 and daddy is still going strong so any exit cards are being issued by daddy, second BB was highly educated and need I add the Sharifs have invested little in education and more on real state.”

“You mean real estate.”

“Nope real state, state as in government.”

“Don’t be facetious anyway when I said nepotism is at its very worst I really wasn’t referring to NMN but to Ishaq Dar – he has cost the nation 2 billion dollars, not rupees dollars, in lost remittances in the first seven months of the year due to his policy of controlling the rupee…”

“Did he not realize that this policy was disastrous during his earlier stint but at that time he was busy borrowing and shoring up reserves which allowed intervention in the market…”

“Dar sahib wasn’t involved in balancing the foreign exchange reserve books, that’s the State Bank’s job so…”

“Don’t be facetious, anyway all the Sharifs who matter today in descending or ascending order…”

“SS is the prime minister and he must surely understand by now that it is his legacy that is being compromised not anyone else’s…”

“If wishes were horses…”

“As they are in Pakistan.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023