“It is high time the US acknowledges Pakistan’s lead.” “Really, in which area? Self-destruct or…”

“Despondency not allowed my friend. Let me refer you to a recent statement of a US Presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.): the legal system is being weaponized against political opponents, a response to multiple indictments against former president, Donald Trump.”

“I don’t get it – Trump is way up in front as the Republican nominee and someone who is going to challenge him…”

“Well does that remind you of someone?”

“Shah Mehmood Qureshi? But in his defense I would like to say…”

“Not interested; anyway going back to US acknowledging Pakistan’s lead, I would give the example of The First Daughter concept which began in the Islamic Republic, refusing to accept election results, a very long standing attitude of our politicians, even the winners claim they would have won by a lot more votes had there been no rigging (pre, during and post polls), encouraging supporters to protest inside, as opposed to outside public buildings…”

“But you know all of your examples apply only to Trump, but in our case, it is more…how shall I put it? Pervasive?”

“Right, but what about the comment on weaponizing the legal system against political opponents.”

“Well, the US has a bit more to learn from us on that count. We refer to it as level playing field.”

“Notification Maryam Nawaz (NMN) defines level playing field as installing daddy as the prime minister by setting aside his convictions and ironically The Man Who Must Not Be Named defines it similarly today…”

“You have missed the point again: it is not about different definitions at different times in their political careers. The field is different. The Man Who Must Not Be Named plays cricket, always cricket. NMN sometimes plays bluff, a card game, sometimes Grand theft Auto, a popular computer game…”

“Hey just because she was gifted a car…”

“You really don’t see the forest for the trees do you! She plays stationary games, while The Man Who Must Not Be named plays in the field – more active.”

“What about daddy? What game does he play?”

“Doctor, doctor.”

“You are so bad. And Zardari sahib?”

“You know what bugs me is that all these tropical storms have Anglo Saxon names – I mean the latest storm to hit the Baja California peninsula is named Hillary.”

“What are you trying to say? That the Americans name the next storm Zardari?”

“Why not? That would show to the Muslim world…”

“Shush.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023