“So what’s up?” “Same-o, same-o.”

“What did you expect? Human nature does not change, we still feel hate, love, anger as did our ancestors; so even if technologically we improve our quality of life and entertainment I reckon we are pretty much unchanged in terms of the emotions we exhibit though laws should restrain the more ungovernable……”

“Right and that’s where elite capture can run rings around the poor and the disenfranchised.”

“Okaaay, but in Pakistan the disenfranchised vote again and again and again but…”

“Right they are like Nawaz Sharif: never ever learning from their mistakes and instead making the same mistake again and again and again to prove that the previous mistakes were not mistakes but good judgements.”

“Zardari sahib learns from mistakes.”

“Right but I reckon that could be because he has spent most of his life in a melting pot – Karachi has Sindhis and Urdu speakers and pathans and Balochis and a bunch of Punjabis while Punjabis in general and Lahoris in particular struggle with the two A’s.”

“Two As as in?”

“Arrogance and attack, not counter attack, attack.”

“Speaking of arrogance could someone tell The Moon that The Khan takes frequent U-turns and can dump even those who helped him ascend to power and if he doesn’t like someone to start with he may work with him if it suits him but 30 seats adjustment ain’t gonna happen when push comes to shove.”

“Perhaps The Moon needs to take cognizance of Chekov’s wise saying: don’t tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

“Ha ha, perhaps The Moon is an Oscar Wilde fan who said with freedom, books, flowers and the moon who could not be happy?”

“The Khan.”

“Don’t be facetious but I hear The Khan is on pain killers because of the bullet wounds and so is calmer when The Moon shows up with daddy.”

“I thought he was still on spiritual pain killers?”

“The dosage of the two may adjust from one day to the next…”

“Depending on?”

“Depending on the Khan’s mood, I said mood not moon.”

“I hear you loud and clear.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022