“Hammad Azhar was the first to boast of a 4 percent growth rate…”

“So? He is a member of the cabinet.”

“Asad Umar is the minister in charge of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.”

“So? Hammad Azhar is an ever green minister in waiting if you will - The Khan has changed his portfolio more times than that of any other minister and that’s saying a lot…”

“That The Khan loves him?”

“Yes, cause it’s The Khan’s prerogative and Azhar is the only federal minister who has witnessed an ever more important portfolio compared to the one before…”

“Hey he was the minister of finance and now is the Minister for Energy – that’s a demotion…”

“OK, but that was a stop gap measure only and it was well known that Tarin is being wooed…”

“It’s not good for the morale to have stop gap measures…”

“Don’t be silly The Khan’s team members especially Azhar is used to it by now. Anyway Azhar’s endearing quality has been to accept subservience to his much more senior colleagues…I mean when Hafeez Sheikh said jump he always asked how high…”

“But he needs a reality check – Sheikh is out and Shaukat Tarin…”

“I see where you are going with this! Shaukat Tarin ain’t gonna ask anyone to defend his policies, he is capable of doing it himself so perhaps the guy needs to stop with the GDP growth rate.”

“I reckon the youthful Hammad Azhar may be hitting the age group where habits however acquired and however recently acquired are hard to change…”

“Hmmm, but my recommendation to Azhar – know your man.”

“Fair enough so does the 4 percent growth rate mean that Sheikh was fired a few weeks too soon, like many others before him and……”

“Ha ha, no I reckon he was instructed to highlight the growth rate…”

“Instructed by?”

“By The Khan, for The Khan and of The Khan.”

“Ha, ha, our new definition of democracy!”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021