"The Khan says having the National Economic Council meeting on an insecure video link is dangerous."
"I don't get it, dangerous for whom?"
"Well, he didn't specify but I would imagine if the budget is leaked then there would be those who would take advantage of it, you know insider trading galore and..."
"Are you stupid?"
"Hey, I am not saying it, the Khan is."
"What are you training to become? A Pakistani politician who would not even take responsibility for making a bad cup of tea himself, he would blame the water or the tea bag having being used by his political opponent before placing it back with the still to be used tea bags..."
"Where in the world are you going with this? The Khan did say that an insecure video link..."
"Does the Khan actually believe that the discussion that took place through the video link was of such a sensitive nature that it would be dangerous for our economy?"
"OK, granted that the real danger to our economy remains the failure to distinguish between an accountant and an economist - the former would balance the budget even if it requires mislabelling some items for example foreign savings are being budgeted to double next year from around 0.6 percent this year to 1.5 percent of GDP next year..."
"Ah, that's the power of the pen! With a single stroke you can write 1.5 for next year..."
"Don't be facetious. Anyway an economist would think of ways and means to balance it and try to put in data that he regards as doable for example over stating the revenue but failing that he would borrow from wherever he can - from abroad, from domestic commercial market.... And failing all this, he would simply give the order to print more money and show a budget deficit that is higher than projected...of I see what you meant by the stroke of a pen..."
"And as you know the pen is always mightier than the sword..."
"Oh dear, don't go there yet..."