“I reckon Nawaz Sharif deserves my vote.” “Really? I thought after the Panama case, when it came to light that his children’s wealth was stashed in an offshore account instead of in Pakistan where the most inappropriately named law, Protection of Economic Reforms Act 1992, legally allowed them, as a resident Pakistani, to open a foreign currency account and send it where ever in the world without

any questions asked, they inappropriately still opted for offshore accounts……”

“Why inappropriate?”

“Such a law is not in place even in Western economies. I mean there is a limit beyond which…”

“Hey for us the sky is the limit.”

“Anyway the law facilitated capital flight – and in some cases money laundering!”

“Hey stop, The Samdhi says the affidavit was coerced and Azam Khan’s isn’t and……”

“The Samdhi had to wait for Nawaz Sharif’s government to return to get the government to withdraw the case, so do you reckon if the Man Who Must Remain Nameless ever returns…”

“Let’s wait for the pendulum to swing and knowing Nawaz Sharif’s history, it may well swing a lot earlier than we all reckon…any way why the change of heart? Why would you vote Nawaz Sharif?”

“Nawaz Sharif Proposes and reckons Nawaz Sharif also Disposes.”

“What?”

“He is proposing Ishaq Dar as the caretaker prime minister - the man who was the only lacuna in the agreement with the International Monetary Fund as a finance minister claiming that it is to ensure that all the Fund conditions that Dar violated will be implemented now?”

“I heard when the late departed Kulsoom Nawaz asked Dar what he wanted in life he said the caretaker prime ministership – the pension is kinda good.”

“Don’t bullshit.”

“Well he cannot get the position after the party forms the government because there is a growing queue of Sharifs but for caretakers there are no takers.”

“He could have got the position in 2017 couldn’t he, when no Sharif was in the running and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi…”

“At the time Dar sahib wanted just the use of the Prime Minister’s plane not residence at the House – the matter of assets much beyond known means of income…”

“Hmmmm, anyway I reckon it’s a non-starter – the powers that be are not enamoured of his skills so ain’t gonna happen.”

“Nawaz Sharif…”

“Post-9 May, the Man Who Must Remain Nameless is out, but the balance of power has visibly shifted away from The Remainders.”

“Hmmmm I see.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023