PARTLY FACETIOUS: Buddha said three things cannot be hidden

“Talking of Achilles’ heel…”

“Achilles as in a great warrior of the Trojan war in Greek mythology?”

“Right and an Achilles’ heel refers to his weakness in spite of great strength which led to his downfall…”

“And what was the weakness?”

“You are not listening; it was the heel – to overcome the prophesy that he would die young his mother Thetis dipped him in the river Styx that runs between the world and the underworld as an infant and held him by his heels so that’s where his weakness is.”

“So in spite of great strength one can have a weakness. But what made you bring this up?”

“Well The Khan’s strength is his popularity but his weakness is…”

“Stop right there – I will have you know that whoever mentioned his Achilles’ heel were unceremoniously dumped, barred from entering the inner sanctum and the social media brigade let lose…”

“Don’t get carried away, who is Shehbaz Sharif’s Achilles’ heel?”

“There are three…”

“Buddha said three things cannot be hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth.”

“Shehbaz Sharif’s sun is Elder Brother who has foisted the most damaging Achilles’ heel of all – the finance minister who will not only lose the party the next elections because of his flawed policies which the economy can no longer withstand as it did in 2013-17 but he is doing incalculable damage to the economy…”

“That’s a matter of opinion and I will have you know that whoever has attacked him has fallen by the wayside too.”

“Musharraf and The Khan?”

“No, Miftah Ismail.”

“Don’t be facetious and given his resilience I say all you spiritual guides eat your heart out! Anyway the second Achilles’ heel, the moon, is the Man Without a Portfolio and I guess his appointment is due to The Daughter.”

“OK but he has no portfolio to damage and…”

“He has the use of the Press Information Department and his daily harangue is having an opposite effect – study after study shows that swing voters do not like such attacks.”

“And the third heel, the truth?”

“The Man Who Shall Remain Nameless – a man who did not have the aptitude to play international cricket, a man during whose tenure if I recall correctly wins were rare and…”

“The Daughter again?”

“I would imagine but through daddy.”

“And Zardari sahib?”

“He has none, he loves his children, loves his sisters but seriously no Achilles’ heel.”

“The Lahori heads of party must learn from the wily Zardari don’t you think!”

“If wishes were horses…”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022