“There are three kinds of lies, lies, damned lies and statistics.” “I have heard that one, many times before, but one question: can you distinguish between lies and damned lies.”
“You being facetious?”
“No I really would like to know – accusations of hurling lies at one’s political opponents is a routine feature in our politics…”
“Indeed it is while we all know that they are all playing with the truth – some more than others, some more frequently than others and some…”
“Indeed the key question is, playing with the truth credibly or playing with the truth unrealistically…wait, is that the distinction between lies and damned lies!”
“Well in politics, credibility is highly partisan, so you believe your leadership, however outlandish their accusation.”
“Would an example of a damned lie be the claim by Notification Maryam Nawaz (NMN) that she has no property in Pakistan leave alone outside…”
“Stop right there – that was way before the notification was issued, her status now has changed, so her assets, as daddy said in parliament, are none of your business.”
“Ha ha, but the lesson learned – don’t deal in cash, don’t deal in expensive real estate, deal in diamonds and…”
“Excuse me, but The Third Wife’s best and obvious defense is why would she focus on a five carat diamond ring, which as per the internet may have a value up to one million dollars, but…wait, wait, why sell a Graff watch valued many, many, times more….”
“Well, information about a gift to a head of government will always come out. Anyway, Our financial Czar dealt in cash and that court case was only put under the table after the Return of the Prodigals…”
“Speaking of our Czar when I mentioned the proverb lies, damned lies and statistics I wanted to…”
“Let me guess, you thought the Czar engages in damned lies which apart from our parliamentarians and need I add powerful stakeholders the rest of the hapless Pakistani public is effortlessly deciphering. As our disposable income shrinks due to his inane policies we, the hapless public, suffer his damned lies……”
“You get too technical my friend – all I wanted to say was that in Pakistan there has been a rewriting of this proverb to lies, damned lies and…”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023