ANJUM IBRAHIM

Did Nawaz tone his narrative down?

“Ha, ha, ha.”

“I understand where you are coming from, but while Nawaz Sharif did not change his narrative he did tone it down, right?”

“But would that be enough – I mean simply toning it down rather than changing it.”

“I am not sure, but that’s the maximum flexibility that Nawaz Sharif has ever shown in terms of changing his flawed strategy and need I add his First Born has inherited this particular trait - which lost him the position of chief executive three times.”

“I am afraid if he doesn’t change the narrative he may lose his support base.”

“And I am afraid that his loyalists and I am referring to two of his key loyalists…”

“Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and mein, mein, mein, Khawaja Asif who has found new pastures – away from the Water and Power Ministry where he was constantly fighting with critical sub-sectors, including the Independent Power Producers who incidentally won a landmark case in the London Court of Arbitration recently at a cost to the Pakistani tax payers – not only in payment to the lawyers’ and numerous trips of our officials to London but also in the award itself which is nearly 11 billion rupees and….”

“I disagree – the guy is well placed at last – he can fight with other countries and given that our relations with them are not the best these days in any case…”

“Don’t be facetious; anyway Mian sahib must change his narrative – not only for the courts and the ubiquitous establishment but also for his voters – his First Born is on record as having said that if the win in NA-120 is less than 15,000 then there is an issue and…”

“But what I cannot understand is why is the First Brother and the First Minister as distinct from the Prime Minister allowing themselves to be mercilessly stepped upon by Nawaz Sharif!”

“If you get used to being stepped upon…”

“No, seriously no two individuals - Shahbaz Sharif and Chaudhry Nisar - have so frequently been stepped upon and not only by El Supremo Nawaz Sharif but also by his First Born and the Voice of the Goat has never been silenced when it bleats obscenities against these two…”

“They are like…like…”

“Not Faryal Talpur, the former First Sister. She is respected by her brother and no Zardi dares challenge her!”

“How about the Maulana’s brother?”

“Maulana’s number two was the Minister for Tourism in the Zardari government and need I add tourism got a real boost but he lost to that dratted PTI in 2013 and…”

“I wasn’t aware tourism was boosted between 2008 and 2010 when he was the minister.”

“From the Western border my friend, from the western border…”

“Don’t be facetious.”