Anjum Ibrahim

Caretakers part of system

“So the caretaker prime minister made some appointments that were superfluous.”

“In this country, it’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t!”

“I would recommend the latter as the safer bet.”

“I don’t get you!”

“Damned if you don’t is preferable to damned if you do.”

“Don’t be facetious; anyway, what I was referring to was the appointment of four additional federal ministers by Nasirul Mulk who were unnecessary, a waste of the taxpayers’ money and…”

“You will never ever make a good candidate for caretaker set up.”

“I would have you know that I am qualified and where I lack in qualifications I make up in terms of experience, I have no pending cases against me and I have successfully run a large private company with government contracts and…”

“I was being facetious; anyway, when I said you won’t make a good candidate as a member of the caretaker setup, it’s because you don’t understand that when you vote for a party you are effectively giving all control of the taxpayers’ money to that party…”

“The caretakers are not elected.”

“True, but the caretakers are part of the system, part of the democratic system put in place by those you elect and so are entitled to the same privileges and prerogatives as those you elect except of course their tenure is rather short….”

“But it’s sad that a former chief justice and current acting prime minister would add four ministers at our expense…”

“Isn’t he the same guy who went to his parents’ graves after he was made the caretaker prime minister?”

“Indeed, and that the classic conundrum we Pakistanis face: do we praise his highly developed filial credentials or do we denigrate him for using public money for a private visit.”

“I propose a constitutional amendment that would make it illegal for caretakers…”

“You need two-third majority to amend the constitution, and in the next assembly if the Khan says he wants to build the critically needed water reservoirs, The Others would vigorously oppose it as being anti-democratic.”

“That’s politics a la Pakistani style.”