PARTLY FACETIOUS: Criticality of the right slogan

"Coming up with the right slogan is very important in our politics."

"Who do you include in our?"

"Pakistan and India and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka...."

"You mean the Sub-Continent!"

"Hey granted that I am weak in geography but not that weak - Bhutan isn't included. Besides I am proud to be weak in geography because my leader Imran Khan is also weak in geography, he mixed up Japan with France, and he is the prime minister of our country and...and...wait...he is the only one who is on the same page as the establishment and need I add for the longest period ever in our history - two years and three months - remember Zardari sahib and his intent, quickly abandoned, to make some changes in the ISI and I don't think I need to note Nawaz Sharif's page turning at a much faster pace than that of the establishment...."

"Ha ha three times he changed the page faster than the establishment."

"And in the event that he becomes the prime minister for a fourth time he will do so again."

"Ha ha that's true but anyway Bhutto's slogan of roti (bread), kapra (clothes) aur makaan (house) remains as valid today as when he first came up with it, which is a sad reflection of the many administrations since then but you know there are components of the slogan that were picked up by the Sharifs (ashiana housing scheme, dealing with the tandoors to keep prices constant) and need I add The Khan's cheap makaan and..."

"The roti rate is rising and...."

"Hey it's the Sharifs who are responsible - anyway what I wanted to say was that coming up with slogans or a derogatory epithet for the head off government that would anger him is an art form in our country and need I add the PPP is way ahead of the PML-N leadership in this regard."

"I agree - Maryam Nawaz's earlier Nalaik-i-Azam (head of incompetents) never bothered The Khan but Bilawal's Selected did though it took The Khan some time to absorb that soubriquet..."

"Maryam is not foreign educated - she did her BA or maybe not from here while The Khan and Bilawal and his sisters were educated abroad."

"That doesn't hold - Zardari sahib referred to The Khan as Imran Niazi and The Khan then issued a notification whereby all official documents were to refer to him as Imran Khan."

"True...it is ironical that the Sharifs have mostly been educated in the country, but have been heavily reliant on foreign doctors/hospitals with the bulk of their resources stashed abroad, and yet have been unable to come up with a bankable epithet...."

"That's because they don't use the bank tellers like the rest of us to deposit and/or withdraw cash."

"Don't be facetious anyway you reckon the Maulana's and Maryam Nawaz's Covid19 would hold?"

"Let's wait and see but I don't think so."

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020