“So good news hunh!”
“Yeah the Finance Minister has pledged to achieve a surplus of 1.6 percent of GDP.”
“And that means what?”
“That’s kinda smartish of him, primary surplus is defined as minus interest on loans.”
“Right so that means if the budget document is anything to go by the expenditure would be minus 8.2 trillion rupees – 7.19 trillion rupees markup on domestic debt and 1 trillion rupees mark up on foreign debt.”
“Since when did you become a detail person?”
“What?”
“This level of detail; does not, I repeat, may not be good for your long term health.”
“Hey all I wanted to point out was that out of total budgeted expenditure of 17.5 trillion rupees around 8 trillion rupees, which is around 47 percent of….”
“Shut up, the guy is not responsible for past debt, and he has pledged to….”
“Pledges are a dime a dozen in this country.”
“You are just being difficult.”
“Why doesn’t he reduce current expenditure and…”
“We all work under some limitations and his terms of reference do not include, how shall I put it, flexibility to reduce current expenditure other than of course to project that debt servicing will come down because the policy rate will come down….”
“Please stop.It is giving me a headache. The good news I was referring to was the fact that a deal has been struck with all parties satisfied and the Pakistan cricket team will now play the Indian team….”
“Great news and like the basant festival a great success.”
“We also had success in beating the Indians in the war.”
“But not as much success with the terrorists.”
“No but 99 times out of a 100 the agencies have stopped….”
“How would the two hatted man know? I mean it’s not as if the intelligence agencies come under his Ministry right?”
“Let me just say this: the two hats he wears are way heavier than the thirty plus hats worn by the Deputy Prime Minister.”
“And what about the Prime Minister?”
“Details, details, details – learn to look at the macro picture.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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