“So a successful visit or not?” “What visit?”
“Dar’s visit to attend the IMF/World Bank annual meeting?”
“Hey talk phases.”
“I am pretty sure he got nothing out of the Fund in terms of phasing out the harsh conditions, for didn’t he increase the petroleum levy to 47.26 rupees per litre! And this on the eve of the bye-elections with The Khan winning six of the…”
“I wasn’t referring to those phases.”
“I get it, you are referring to his visit to the State Department and his claim that he told the Americans that if the Russians provide cheaper oil than…”
“Than the Saudis? I thought the Saudis have close ties with the Sharifs and, wait let me finish, the Americans don’t need to say anything – sanctions against Pakistan will become effective as soon as we purchase from Russia as per their law.”
“Right I am not sure the Saudis agreed to provide cheaper fuel but they have offered deferred oil payment facility though it has not yet kicked in with Dar in the country for more than a month…”
“Hmmm, but the visit was a success in the second phase.”
“The second phase was at the State Department which…”
“No silly.”
“Dar claimed that Finance Action Task Force will take us off the grey list and…”
“That required some daring to say the least. I mean he has not, I repeat, not been engaged with FATF and…”
“Dar is jack of all trades as you know.”
“And master of none!”
“He has got a special dispensation from our courts where by the last part of the proverb does not apply to him…”
“Don’t be facetious, anyway the second phase was his two days stop-over in London and a journalist close to Nawaz Sharif said on air that momentous decisions were taken. Maryam Nawaz will become the President of the party and Dar will identify who is to be the next chief of army staff and…”
“Shehbaz Sharif deposed without a murmur.”
“Even Musharraf was given the guard of honour…”
“Now do you know why Maryam went to London.”
“Well it wasn’t to frighten the mouse from under the Queen’s chair, it was to depose the…”
“Don’t be facetious.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022