PARTLY FACETIOUS: There is Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, maybe even up to Plan Z

“What is the difference between institutional thinking and political parties’ thinking?” “You are kidding me right?” “No I do want to know. I mean the success of one and the sustained failure of the others…”

“Well may be the difference is not in thinking as much as in…in…in…”

“Use of available physical assets.”

“Use or placement?”

“That too…don’t forget many a former general has assets abroad you know – Musharraf and…”

“You are talking of individuals, that is getting personal - I was talking generally.”

“Well institutional thinking is premised on the exercise of power over decades while leaders of political parties tend to lose sight of ground realities that have been cyclically evident.”

“Cyclically?”

“Well let’s say while there is boom and bust in economic cycles, in every term of office of a civilian government the cycle is from one page to not even reading from the same book.”

“Ah right but I guess your use of the word cyclical leaves the possibility of recurrence.”

“More like certainty.”

“So what is the main difference in thinking between an institution and politicians do you think?”

“Well there must be a defined hierarchy.”

“Right I agree I mean the superior judiciary today is split…”

“Right, anyway going back to your question I would say the difference is that the institutional thinking takes account of many scenarios – so there is Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, maybe even up to Plan Z.”

“And?”

“And I reckon only a few senior people in the institution know what is Plan A.”

“Give an example?”

“Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and his two-member team – Khokhar and Miftah Ismail – may reckon they are Plan A but they could well be Plan F.”

“I get it. And Zardari sahib may have tried to become Plan A but then the electables kinda slipped out…”

“And Nawaz Sharif’s perception that he has to be Plan B by default…”

“Right you got it. And so my friend I would urge the hopeful politicians to formulate their own Plans – A to F.”

“Hey capacity building is a slow process – let them come up with a Plan B for now.”

“What about Plan A?”

“That remains the same - to occupy the Prime Minister’s House for the two national parties and to get the Kashmir Committee Chairmanship for The Maulana…”

“Indeed.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023