“What’s the difference between say a cult and a voter?”

“Well in established democracies where democracy has seeped into the party ranks and where a party leader is de-seatable through elections…”

“De-seatable? Is that even a word?”

“It is very much a word in the South Asian context where the leadership of a party stays within a family and an outsider cannot contest elections for the leadership.”

“Well technically he or she can, but that person of course would be thrown out of the party.”

“Indeed anyway where a leader is de-seatable then you don’t have a cult but where the party leader is not de-seatable then there can be a cult.”

“Is that the only requirement? I mean Zardari sahib was not of the Bhutto family but a Whom It ‘May Concern’ statement with his late wife’s signature gave him the party leadership….”

“Whom It May Concern?”

“Well Zardari sahib’s ascension did not require an affidavit where one would need a magistrate to verify…”

“Dear, dear, me, are you still unwilling to forgive Dar sahib for his disastrous policies and unlike the honourable men and women of the PML-N blame the state of the economy one year later on The Khan….”

“Blinkers, they all have blinkers….”

“Blinkers or bonkers the fact remains that ne’er a one has the gumption to criticize leave alone have him fired and…wait….let me finish and that’s an example of a party member accepting his/her party leader’s inane appointment decisions over and above the nation’s interest and…”

“Hmmmm but the Three Wise Men are going around addressing seminars and…”

“Let them be, they don’t represent a cult or even too many voters and I doubt if they would even qualify as technocrats given the fact that not so long ago they had the blinkers on and…”

“Right, however, cult is where whatever the leader says or does, or performs or does not perform, is accepted without question, for example when I am given a time to cover an event of the prime minister and if the prime minister is late I am not surprised but am angry at the delay, however, if you are in a cult, the leader can cancel at the last minute and you won’t question his or her…”

“Right, like The Khan called off the rally at the last minute on Sunday and his supporters were there on Monday to…”

“Yes and that’s a cult, while in contrast, a voter would come out only on election day to cast his vote and go home.”

“The Khan cult is established I reckon; the Bhutto cult continues even though Zardari sahib has been leading the party for over a decade and the Sharifs do they have cult?”

“They have Gullu Butts defined as anyone with an acrimonious mind set and need I add Notification Maryam Nawaz’s training is.…”

“Don’t be facetious.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023