“Notification Maryam Nawaz (NMN) before her departure to Saudi Arabia used to say that elections will not be held unless there is a balance.”
“Hallelujah to that.”
“Excuse me?”
“The balance has been achieved.”
“How come?”
“Well its two against two right – the government plus one against The Khan plus one or such is the consensus.”
“Ah but which of the non-party two has more…more…”
“More clout?”
“Indeed.”
“Wait and see my friend but I am reminded of the proverb the pen is mightier than the sword.”
“Written by someone who exercised his pen with absolutely no idea how to hold a sword.”
“An English humorist, Terry Pratchett, said the pen is mightier than the sword if the sword is very short and the pen is very sharp, so the point in our case is to determine whether the pen is sharp and the sword short or the sword long and the pen not so sharp.”
“I will have you know that even the great conqueror, Alexander the Great said, that whatever possession we gain by our sword cannot be sure or lasting, but the love gained by kindness.”
“Hmmm I would like to quote our much loved father of the nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah who said there are two powers in the world, one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women.”
“I never heard that one before.”
“I got it out of the net and I think it has relevance to Pakistan of today. You have NMN on the one side, abusive towards anyone or anything that comes in her way…”
“What way?”
“Way towards being acknowledged as daddy’s sole political heir though with help from Dar that legacy is fizzling out faster than a coke bottle left open and…”
“OK and on the other side?”
“The spiritually skilled silent spouse.
“All words starting with an s, sibilant…”
“Ah but deadly to all ye who come in her path.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023