“I take strong exception to the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf claim that the status quo parties, particularly Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples’ Party are dynastic…”
“Excuse me but let me just take names – Z A Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and there are indications that Asifa Bhutto Zardari intends to join politics…”
“Granted but don’t forget that Benazir re-energized the party over years and left her own unique imprint on the party and don’t forget there were some shall we say differences of opinion with her mum and brother so…”
“But it was limited to within the family and whatever you may think of Asif Zardari he presided, and continues to preside, over loyalists (albeit scaled-down loyalists in terms of numbers) because of the Bhuttos which explains why he ends most speeches with Jeay Bhutto. Now take PML-N Maryam, full of fire and fury…”
“You do recall Hamlet, Shakespeare’s play, where the prince of Denmark said on his wife’s death – it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
“Yes but she is still in the running my friend….”
“Well la di da! Being in the running when all the other Sharifs are either in jail or out of the country….”
“’I reckon Benazir started the same way….”
“Nope her mother Nusrat Bhutto was with her.”
“Well Maryam has The Maulana…”
“Don’t be facetious.”
“Captain Safdar? Zubayr? Talal Chaudhary?”
“I won’t dignify that with a response anyway when I said we don’t have dynastic politics I was referring to dynasties that strengthened themselves through marriage and…”
“Stop right there! The difference in ages….”
“Let me state a few facts. The Khan’s first wife was around 20 odd years younger to him, I think so was the second one though I don’t know about the third, besides there have been numerous instances in the history of our part of the world of a wife being a lot older than the husband and….”
“If you know what’s good for you, you would limit the definition of dynasty to blood relatives.”
“Done!”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021