“Jail teaches you a lot.” “Well, it depends on what crime you are in for.” “OK, but political prisoners are in a class unto themselves.”
“Political prisoners are in for embezzlement – outright or through abuse of power or…”
“Agreed. Can I criticize some judgments without being accused of contempt of court?”
“Of course, once a judgment is announced, it’s fair game.”
“OK, I want to take the liberty to suggest that at least 75 percent of the actual value of the embezzlement be part of a court order. I mean all the cars, and jewellery and unaccounted for money inflows…”
“Money inflows into any account are deemed as foreign direct investment.”
“That’s contempt of the people who voted for the one charged with contempt?”
“Contempt has taken on the status of democracy in our country.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Democracy is for the people, by the people, of the people and contempt is now against the office holders as opposed to the senior most members of the judiciary who were not elevated, by the elevated against the unelevated and need I add it is of the judiciary…”
“Oh shut up.”
“Aye, will do. But just as sometimes the people elect representatives from within their ranks who turn out greater embezzlers than ever, the judiciary…”
“Stop. Anyway, when I said jail teaches you a lot I was referring to political prisoners and need I add each batch of political prisoners’ act differently based on the party they are associated with. The PML-N leadership, all Sharifs including those related by marriage, are into going abroad and their second tier the Khawajas stay behind bars.”
“Do you think the second tier are ever given the option of going abroad?”
“Don’t know, don’t think so, that way capital flight would be a lot more than it is.”
“It’s already in hundreds of billions of dollars.”
“Get your facts straight – that’s not capital flight, that is foreign direct investment outflow, and the reason is the previous administration’s flawed policies…”
“Oh shush, Zardari sahib during his wife’s lifetime was treated like second tier PML-N members and The Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless…”
“I have it on very good authority that before his incarceration he did not pen a single letter to his name and…”
“The unsold jewellery that he and his wife were gifted when he headed the government…”
“Not returned and if the prosecutor insists on it then the Sharifs and the Bhutto Zardaris would also have to cough up…”
“Hamm.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025