“So Kakar has gone off to the US to represent the people of Pakistan.” “Phew.” “Where did that come from?” “We will not be lectured by him on democracy, and on the economy moving in the right direction and…”
“Hey who else to lecture us on democracy but a man who became the country’s prime minister instead of…of…”
“Has he ever won from his constituency.”
“Define his?”
“Reminds me of Bill Clinton during his impeachment days when he asked that the word is be defined.”
“Ha ha, the difference is in the addition of the letter h. Anyway let me remind you that he has a much more powerful constituency any way he did win in 2013 on a PML-N ticket…”
“Ah that does explain a few recent inductees in the cabinet – anyway Kakar now represents the most powerful constituency in this country but let me ask you who will listen to his speech that will cost the taxpayers quite a few thousands of dollars – ticket plus hotel stay plus…”
“I would reckon around two to three million people?”
“How come so many?”
“All the channels will broadcast his speech and…”
“Don’t be facetious, anyway does Kakar know that neither our biggest foe nor our closest friend is going to attend the United Nations General Assembly?”
“If I know Modi and President Xi are not attending I am sure so does Kakar but the government is touting a possible meeting with the International Monetary Fund Managing Director.”
“And for what purpose? The deal with the Fund was signed on 29 June, prior conditions are in place and with zero attempt to increase the country’s leverage - or in other words failure to implement far reaching reforms after more than a month in the PM House - I don’t see what he can possibly say that would make any difference!”
“What about the crackdowns?”
“They will lose steam without policy reforms. Besides you should know that the Caretaker finance minister in a press conference claimed that inflation was down and productivity on the rise and…”
“I reckon that before being given that portfolio one is forced to wear yellow tinted glasses, yellow representing optimism, tinted with grey glass, grey as in statements that are ambiguous in nature and…”
“Right but the caretaker finance minister’s timing is really off – I mean given that this is the second time she has been appointed as caretaker finance minister that could have been a lesson learned.”
“What do you mean?”
“She claimed inflation was down and productivity up less than 24 hours before the price of petroleum and products was hiked and with it transport of goods and people instantaneously rose dramatically…”
“Third time lucky so may she will learn the lesson…”
“Reminds me of Nawaz Sharif’s third time luck.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023