PARTLY FACETIOUS: I like Lord Tennyson’s poem The Charge of the Light Brigade
“Ì heard 24 provinces are the target once the twenty-eighth amendment is passed.”
“Two third majority … …”
“Give yourself a break.”
“I had never heard the expression used that way – always give myself a break.”
“Welcome to the Land of the Pure – we give breaks to others, this is part of our culture as well as religious compulsions – we bestow on others in our generosity of spirit …”
“I hope you are not being facetious.”
“Why don’t you give me a break now.”
“Gotcha there, anyway I heard from, a very reliable source that twenty-four provinces are the target and if the Bhutto Zardaris do not support the amendment then …..”
“Give yourself a break.”
“No I wasn’t going to say anything just that then the chances of their ever occupying the Prime Minister’s House would diminish by a factor of 10.”
“OK but what about Chief Minister …”
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa? I heard there is an intense jockeying for that slot within the party, but that’s silly isn’t it. I mean if the province is divided into ten let’s say then ….”
“Then the chief minister of one unit would be like a local government councillor ….”
“Not sure but anyway what about Maryam Nawaz? Would she accept an empire that spans only Lahore or Lahore and Sheikhupura at best or ….”
“You know I do like Lord Tennyson’s poem The Charge of the Light Brigade, there was a line that comes to mind theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and do.”
“Do and die.”
“We are a peace loving people …..”
“Right, anyway given that our politicians resist local bodies elections and where they cannot resist they resist extending the financial resources and where they cannot stop that ….”
“They agree on a charter of democracy.”
“And for your information it’s not a memorandum of understanding that is non-binding it is a charter.”
“Which requires an interpretation that is most certainly likely to change over time.”
“Finally you got it.”
“Without giving myself or you a break!”
“Funny.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026