PARTLY FACETIOUS: Minus one is OK in parleys with opposition?

“You say potato and I say potaaato.”

“If you are referring to the Prime Minister’s offer of talks to the Pakistan Democratic Movement leadership then let me inform you that it is sincere.”

“But minus the Prime Minister.”

“The Khan doesn’t want to parley with the opposition directly but he does appoint those he trusts – Khattack and Asad Umer and…”

“So minus one is OK in parleys with the opposition but not as a pre-condition for talks as per the PDM management!”

“Management?! Really?!”

“Getting eleven parties who mistrust each other leave alone hate each other, and need I remind you there is a long history behind these sentiments, requires management….”

“So who is the Chief executive Officer?”

“There is a board and some members of the board are more equal than others like in all boards.”

“I bet you if the government begins selecting members of the board then there would be allegations of nepotism…”

“This board is not that different from a government selected board anyway just to let you know no one but no one – not the Brits, not the Americans and not the Aussies refer to potato as potaaato – there are different accents when saying the word tomato….”

“I have it on good authority that potaaato was the consensus after three hour deliberations with Bilawal, given his degree from Oxford, pointing out precisely what you just did, that potaaato is not in use in any English speaking country, while Maryam Nawaz and The Maulana were adamant that as the PDM is engaged in redefining the word democracy therefore….”

“Don’t be facetious – this is serious.”

“I also have it on good authority that the debate included ridiculing The Khan’s obsession with the current account deficit by pointing out that the general public’s current accounts held in commercial banks are depleting faster than….than….than…”

“Then you can say potaaato?”

“You are in a facetious mood today aren’t you?”

“But I bet you there was no consensus as the current accounts of the board members of the PDM remain healthy.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020