“Ooopsy daisy.” “There are too many ooopsy daisy moments in this country today so you will have to narrow it down.”

“That’s certainly true – we were used to politicians hurling abuses at each other but now we have debilitating divisiveness within institutions…”

“One interjection here – mothers in law don’t really play any role in ensuring one’s legacy…”

“Neither do samdhis.”

“Checkmate was it?”

“Right, anyway the Sharifs keep their samdhis real close but most of the mothers in law I know of have veered towards negative as opposed to positive…”

“Mostly and I repeat mostly with daughters in law in this Land of the Pure. Now sons in laws are different…”

“Hmmm, in any case there is division within institutions and where the membership is less than a dozen it’s more evident.”

“I would suggest mandatory training with the three national political parties as opposed to the ones that shift from one party to another to remain relevant – they all know how to ensure compliance with their decisions on the other members – particularly non-family members and…”

“But parties can threaten ejection, institutions cannot.”

“Well yes they have to wait for retirement but ejection from a political party is akin to retirement from an institution….and….and wait let me finish while in political parties’ ejection is not limited to those of a certain age, retirement means that the retiree…”

“Stop right there – the culture of extensions is prevalent in all parties and institutions, merely reaching a retirement age does not mean the end of career – what with committees and commissions and inquiries and being adjusted in entities run by one’s former institution and…”

“I get it, anyway I would hope that the tendency for extensions be resisted from now onwards.”

“I see many beggars would ride around.”

“I never cited the first line of this proverb notably if wishes were horses.”

“Don’t be facetious, anyway when I referred to an ooopsy daisy moment I was referring to the Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who on his recent visit to Pakistan expressed concern over Pakistan’s increasing instability, and exhorted us to overcome political differences to pave the way for economic progress.”

“And ne’er a drop of criticism about interference in our internal affairs from any party?!”

“Hey the guy was absolutely right…”

“I don’t know that word. Now had you said absolutely not…”

“Don’t be facetious. It’s not what you say in this country that matters it’s who says it.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023