“What’s the difference between say elected politicians and those working for an institution?”
“Where, I mean as a general rule or specific to Pakistan?”
“Here in Pakistan. Why are you giggling?”
“Because while taxpayers pay the salaries of both however actual take home pay of parliamentarians, well technically not pay, but anyway the take home element is far higher…”
“But not equal for all parliamentarians?”
“Remember the wise saying by George Orwell in Animal Farm: all animals are equal but some are more equal than others.”
“Don’t be facetious, anyway a major difference in the Pakistani context is that while the institutions have Plan A, B and on occasion C, politicians, particularly party leaders only have Plan A.”
“Hey there are many turncoats each time a government is formed so they must have a Plan B…”
“Nope, Plan A - to always turn towards the sun like the sunflower – the sun in this case, the chief executive.”
“Hmm, as the International Monetary Fund staff recently noted – recalibration given the changing ground realities but the basic thrust of the programme remains.”
“OK so that’s the only difference: institutions have Plans A, B and C but politicians, especially party leaders have only Plan A?”
“Another difference is that when Plan A is achieved and the party is in power there is no effort to formulate plans in the event that something may go wrong – I mean this is truly astounding as prime minister after prime minister has fallen by the wayside and yet no Plan B.”
“Well, once their government is under threat the emergency mode is switched on –turning pages rapidly is stopped so that those who matter can catch up or even get ahead on occasion; but that’s a gut reaction rather than a plan.”
“Right and rigging is normally cited as the reason for defeat.”
“That too is not a plan that’s a…a…I don’t know what to call it but it’s the usual practice that continues to this day.”
“So when in power, Plan A needs to be updated, or a completely new Plan A with a new perspective is required?”
“A Japanese proverb states that under a powerful general there are no feeble soldiers.”
“Well, I am sorry but the soldiers of all parties are feeble and the proof of the pudding is on the wall.”
“OK perhaps you will heed Leo Tolstoy more – he said in order to obtain and hold power, a man must love it and, need I add, they all do love it.”
“I reckon Albert Einstein was more spot on when he said the attempt to combine wisdom and power has only rarely been successful and then only for a short while.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021