ANJUM ibrahim

What is

arrogance?

“Arrogance is the natural outcome of being elected as the prime minister.”

“I agree, millions vote you into power, but I have never seen arrogance kind of dissolve once power is gone. And in our country our many, many interim prime ministers defined as those installed by their leadership – Gilani, Raja Ashraf – and many during the caretaker set up…”

“Oh don’t be facetious and there are those installed by the military dictators, Shaukat Aziz, Chaudhary Shujaat…”

“Right anyway arrogance bars one from learning valuable lessons. All three leaders of our three national parties have either expressed their admiration for or indicated being in a similar predicament as Nelson Mandela and yes I am referring to jail time…”

”Mandela went to jail not because he had an offshore account or fake accounts or…”

“As my wise former Balochistan Chief Minister would point out to a dumb idiot like you, jail is jail, what does the nature of the conviction matter?”

“Hey being convicted of conspiring to overthrow the government in an apartheid set up is different from being convicted of murder which is different from being convicted of corruption…”

“Or for possessing a work permit from an Arab country, iqama!”

“Stop being facetious! Anyway Mandela said the more informed you are the less arrogant and aggressive you are.”

“I am not sure what you are referring to?”

“I am referring to appointing people at key cabinet positions who are clearly not suitable for the job and arrogantly refusing to change them in spite of mounting proof of their unsuitability at a cost to the country.”

“Hmmm but did you hear Hina Pervez Butt, member of the Punjab Assembly, submitted a resolution to reinstate Ishaq Dar as the country’s finance minister on contract.”

“Oh! Why contract?”

“Really! That’s your concern? I mean the guy failed the Sharifs as their personal accountant, before Panama happened a family in UK expressed anger at the use of their accounts to transfer large sums of money out of Pakistan, and I believe there is documentary proof of that, and failed the country as he left an economy in shambles due to seriously flawed policies for four long years…”

“But why on contract?”

“I don’t know perhaps contractors pay less tax.”

“Ever the accountant hunh! I reckon it’s because contractors maybe able to work from London - there is the small matter of being an absconder.”

“Oh dear!”