“There is a wide gap between institutional response versus a politician’s response.”
“Why did you use the singular for the two?”
“What?”
“You used the singular for both – one institution and one politician.”
“Ah because that is precisely where the cookie crumbles. An institution has a well-established hierarchy and even if a junior member engages with any other entity or individual, everyone knows that he represents a command chain that goes all the way to the top.”
“Right, you know The Brown Pope had a meeting as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and…”
“You digress.”
“Do I really! Oh, Faisal Vawda said on the floor of the house…”
“Heed what he says – he mopped the floor not by one but collective politicians…”
“Now who is digressing!”
“Technically I guess neither of us anyway the reason why I mentioned the wide gap between an institutional engagement and a politician’s engagement is that while the institution can direct any member of staff - low, medium or high - our political structure necessitates engagement with the top dog only.”
“This is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan – we don’t use an expression for Muslims that references a dog, and I would strongly urge you to…”
“The Man Who Must Remain Nameless and now Faceless has always had dogs, so I just …”
“Retract!”
“Sorry, will the head honcho do?”
“Yes, but then what’s your point?”
“Saying that Mr Gandapur was present in any meeting and misremembers…”
“Misremembers is putting it rather mildly, outright lying, and …”
“Whatever the charge, you know, and I know that there is only one man who can give a definitive answer in all political parties.” Remember the toeing and froing of The Uncle to London when Big Brother was getting medical treatment in Avenfield flats that incidentally have extremely positive medical fallout rather than in a hospital…”
“I get it so unless there are talks with the Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless…”
“Indeed and that’s a no-no right now so we have another party in the making, this time not a celebrity, just someone who lost the 2018 elections from his constituency, didn’t stand in 2024 and…”
“Ji (yes).”
“What?”
“His selection for finance minister knows how to say ji and that is the way it should be.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024