“It amazed me!”
“What amazed you? That the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is to receive official protocol in Sindh and…”
“Well, not quite – that is part and parcel of Pakistan Peoples’ Party policy of reconciliation, under the able leadership of the non-aligned President Zardari…”
“Ah, right – running with the hounds and hunting with the hares…”
“Can I make a slight, very slight adjustment to the proverb you used?”
“It’s an English proverb…”
“Very slight – most of our pundits wouldn’t even realise that I have made that adjustment – it’s part and parcel of the incumbent President’s reconciliation drive – running with the hares and hunting with the hounds – the hares are never a serious threat to mankind but…”
“Don’t be facetious, be careful – we live in times when the world as we knew it is slowly but inexorably changing.”
“Hmmm, anyway, that not what I was referring to when I said it amazed me.”
“It wasn’t because the aspirant to the Chief Justice slot under the old selection process, and who opted for retirement, never invited his old time friends to his son’s valima and…”
“Hey, I am all for the new – remember the saying out with the old and in with the new…”
“You are being facetious.”
“Then let me be, anyway, our representative to the United Nations gave a statement on the Venezuela incident that has more, how shall I put it, more teeth than the one by European countries collectively and individually…”
“Well, the Europeans have relied for so long on US protection that they feel they cannot take on President Trump, who really doesn’t take kindly to those who challenge his actions and…”
“But there is the matter of Greenland, Denmark’s Greenland, which President Trump has committed to taking over for US security and…”
“Talk about one victory at a time, please, one victory at a time.”
“Victory over…”
“Not victory over, but victory towards peace.”
“Gotcha.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026