“Ye Men.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake! With India getting ever more belligerent, this is no time for such feminist remarks!”
“What?”
“OK, I will bite, Ye Women!”
“Oh you misunderstand me when I said Ye Men I was referring to the country Yemen, you know English is a third language for Greedy for Portfolios Samdhi (GPS) and so when he says Yemen while speaking in English he says Ye Men instead of…”
“For your information, it is pronounced the same way in Urdu too.”
“Indeed it is, but when he is talking in Urdu he pronounces Yemen the right way, but when he is speaking in English…”
“Be kind, my friend – besides what he has not been able to master, he makes up by wearing Western suits. Though I don’t think his tailor is the same as his counterpart, Samdhi’s.”
“Don’t be facetious. Anyway, when I said Ye Men, I was actually referring to Houthis being the only ones who have come to the defence of the Gazans.”
“Right anyway, life is hard for GPS. I mean, here was the Iranian Foreign Minister on a visit to Pakistan and the papers preferred his photograph with the prime minister and ne’er a deputy in sight.”
“Well, the Bearded Tarar needs to be instructed to ensure that the Deputy gets as much coverage as the prime minister in the media…”
“Media funded by the taxpayers.”
“Speaking of taxpayers, I heard that the tax shortfall from what was budgeted is now 117 billion rupees and an ordinance has been issued that envisages taking away due tax even if an appeal is pending.”
“An ordinance is issued by the President, right?”
“Right.”
“Was Zardari sahib’s concurrence sought before the ordinance was signed by him? I mean, didn’t these Nawalas fail to get his concurrence on the four canals…”
“There was a lag between Zardari sahib’s briefing on the matter and the PPP’s opposition!”
“So what? As soon as they heard.…”
“Shut up.”
“OK, but Zardari sahib is not well and is on the same page as his Nawala friends and I reckon…”
“Shut up, I say. Weak people spread rumours and stupid people believe them.”
“A direct slap on my face – now if only…”
“Again shut up.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025