“I reckon Shehbaz Sharif is a much better chess player than Notification Maryam Nawaz (NMN).”

“Not sure about that, I mean as the guy who issued the notification in the first place…”

“Yes but that was followed by whispered check…”

“I don’t get it.”

“He whispered check as in the game of chess, you know the game where check is a situation whereby the King of one’s opponent is under threat…”

“Ha ha, indeed and that’s where The Khan and Shehbaz Sharif are in synch – The Khan reckons NMN is his opening batter and Shehbaz Sharif reckons she makes even Hamza look good.”

“Anyway The King, as in daddy, doesn’t think so and daddy is still hopeful that he will be proved right in a game of marbles he played when he was five years old…”

“Don’t say such things, you know his platelets drop whenever…”

“You can’t doubt that Nawaz Sharif makes the same mistakes again and again and again - ad nauseum - anyway as I said Shehbaz Sharif is a better chess player than Big Brother (BB) because he learnt from all the previous disqualified prime ministers to widen the network – read engage the entire parliament in decision making that violates a court order.”

“Good thinking but who is the thorniest thorn in Shehbaz Sharif’s side?”

“Define thorniest thorn?”

“The persistent irritant…”

“Ah you mean the accountant – the man allowed by BB for the third time to take a wrecking ball to the economy…”

“Yes he should let the accountant take the entire blame for not releasing the funds as per the court directives…”

“Hush BB won’t like it and his platelets may drop…”

“Yes but Shehbaz Sharif can say it had nothing to do with him and the court decided…and the resulting rise in PML-N popularity may…”

“BB thinks like The Khan: all PML-N votes are his and his alone and any rise in popularity boils down to him and him alone…”

“OK but can I suggest to Dar to…”

“To resign? He didn’t resign his senate position for five years when he was out of the country…”

“Oh not that’s not what I was going to suggest. I wanted to suggest that he gives all his trousers to the poor and wears only shalwar kameez from now on – the trousers are kind of now allowing a prominent seepage of substantial amount of flesh…”

“And as any seepage is a no-no for the IMF…”

“Right so in in the national interest…”

“Ha ha, that was fun.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023