“So what is the next folly under consideration?” “Folly as in a garden building or structure designed to enhance and enliven the surrounding landscape?”
“Ha ha, that’s a good one. So you reckon Maryam Nawaz was sent to enhance the surrounding landscape?”
“Time will tell. But Dar sahib is a folly unto himself. He has cost the country 4 to 5 billion dollars, not rupees but dollars, by reenergizing the hundi/hawala system as he allowed a widening differential between the controlled interbank rate and the open market rate…”
“After that illegal system had taken a severe beating during the global lockdown due to Covid! You gotta give him credit for that revival, I mean this was a feat that rivals…why it rivals the decision taken by the Man Who Shall Remain Nameless who, in his infinite wisdom, set the dates for PSL that coincide with the Bangladesh Premier League matches and, needless to add, 20 of our top players are playing there currently after, I repeat after, they took permission…”
“Indeed so many, many, follies. And that is because the Sharifs love gardening, and have great appreciation for follies.”
“Hmmm, but I reckon Maryam is not yet a folly unto herself — the day after her arrival there was a bomb blast.”
“Wasn’t it two days after? I mean there is no way she is responsible for resurfacing terrorism and the number of casualties in the Peshawar blast are no joking matter so lay off.”
“Agreed and I would urge those engaged in dealing with the situation to acknowledge that the Taliban have never abided by any agreement and so that cannot and should not be a starting point.”
“Lesson learning my friend, that’s where we Pakistanis consistently fail.”
“So follies galore.”
“Indeed and identical follies, read garden structures, are constructed again and again and again and the result is a citizenry struggling to make ends meet while the elite absorb the bulk of our tax rupees and…”
“You know what I find very sad is giving the same people the same portfolio that they failed in. Hafeez Sheikh was given the portfolio three times, Shaukat Tarin twice (and yes I have respect for him in getting the third party audit done for rental power projects but he followed the same flawed policies be it under pressure from the IMF or the party leadership) and then there is Dar…”
“Then there is Dar - a folly unto himself.”
“Amen.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
Comments
Comments are closed.