PARTLY FACETIOUS: Let it be with Caesar
'Talal Chaudhary, rewarded for his loyalty to the Heir Apparent…'
'Who is the heir apparent? The Prime Minister?'
'No the Prime Minister is the regent and the Heir Apparent is the Chief Minister of Punjab, the former is a proxy and the latter is the one who will inherit.'
'Inherit what? Wisdom?'
'You being facetious?'
'No, I want to know. One can inherit looks, physical assets or wisdom.'
'The first two have already been doled out. The last is not a prized commodity. What remains is political inheritance.'
'Right.'
'Anyway, Talal Chaudhary says that as per the agreement PML-N and the PPPP are partners and will remain partners.'
'Junior partners or senior partners?'
'You are being facetious, aren't you? Partners means partners and while the percentage ownership of each partner is agreed but not released for the likes of us I would assume that at most it is 33 percent each and at least it is around 4 to 5 percent…'
'That's why the rumour mills are so active.'
'On the percentage ownership…'
'No, they may not have inherited wisdom, but they are not blind – they can understand ground realities. No, what I meant was that there are rumours that Nawaz Sharif and Zardari sahib's agreement was like the Blair-Brown agreement – each would rule for the same amount of years and…'
'Right; so Bilawal versus Maryam Nawaz…'
'Nope, Bilawal versus the regent.'
'That's not fair – I mean, one is the undisputed heir and the other…'
'Life isn't fair - what of the two sons of the Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless…'
'They are neither regents nor Heir Apparent…'
'But…'
'It took Maryam Nawaz over a decade to get where she is today, and this in spite of daddy as the only decision maker.'
'Hmmm and Bilawal took a decade to be groomed…'
'Yep, and as Brutus said about Caesar in Shakespeare's play: let it be with Caesar.'
'Riiiiight.'
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
7 hours ago
- Business Recorder
‘Punjab to review PFC Award after new LG Act's implementation'
LAHORE: Punjab Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman on Tuesday said that a new Local Government Act is being introduced, and once implemented, the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) Award will be reviewed. While responding to Amjad Ali Javed in Punjab Assembly Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that PML-N has always stood in favour of Local Government rights. Earlier, Amjad Ali Javed complained that his committee cannot even pay electricity bills. Criticizing the corrupt state of banks, he said employees are not receiving their salaries. He questioned the Finance Minister, asking how much longer it will take to receive the Provincial Finance Commission Award (PFC) Award after eight years of waiting. 'Can the Finance Minister provide a clear timeframe?' he asked. PML (N) MPA Ahmed Ahsan Iqbal while speaking on the floor of the House said that Secretary of Local Government is saying that the current situation id extremely dire. Hr also said that the Local Government has no funds left. He emphasized that the responsibilities assigned by the federation to the provinces should similarly be delegated by the provinces to municipal committees, but institutions are not receiving their due rights. He raised the question of which establishment is obstructing the implementation of third-tier governance. The session started 1 hour 46 minutes late under the chair of the Acting Speaker Malik Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channar. During a session of the Punjab Assembly, government member Mumtaz Ali Chang delivered a fiery speech, demanding that the Crime Control Department (CCD) conduct operations in the Kacha area. He highlighted a recent incident in Nawazabad where a man named Hamza was killed, two others were injured, and one went missing due to dacoit firing. Chang stated, 'First, clean your own house. The CCD should also establish a unit in the Kacha area.' He further demanded the formation of a committee to investigate the killings of innocent people and the registration of false cases against them. Asserting that 'justice will restore the Assembly's dignity,' Chang defended his role as a public servant, stating that he actively participates in welfare work. He praised the Chief Minister of Punjab for establishing the CCD, which has reduced fear in areas previously considered inaccessible. He also commended the peace festival organized by the Punjab Governor in the Kacha area on the 11th of this month. Chang questioned why the CCD and Anti-Corruption Department were not conducting operations in the Katcha area despite having the authority. He alleged that police officials owning land in the region were sabotaging operations. 'If the Prime Minister and Chief Minister can go to jail, why can't the dacoits of Kacha?' he asked. He further claimed that reports indicate some notorious police officers are supporting dacoits in the area. Acting Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channar sought a report on police officials occupying land in the Katcha area, directing that it be presented in the Assembly to identify those involved. He emphasized, 'Identify the dacoits occupying the Katcha area. Separately, Mumtaz Chang raised concerns about the loans and facilities being offered by Punjab Bank Rahim Yar Khan, stating, 'If we don't know what loans this bank is giving, how will the public know?' He urged the government to inform citizens through advertisements. Government member Ahmed Ahsan Iqbal criticized the Bank of Punjab during the session, stating that its reports are not being presented to the Public Accounts Committee. He said, 'The Bank of Punjab always resists in this matter,' adding that the Assembly has the right to know what privileges are being given to the bank's CEO. Meanwhile, the 26 suspended opposition members of the Punjab Assembly have been reinstated. This decision came as a result of successful negotiations between the government and the opposition following their suspension during the budget speech of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman submitted a request in the assembly for the restoration of the opposition members, upon which Acting Speaker Punjab Assembly Zahr Iqbal Channar immediately ordered their reinstatement. The assembly secretariat also issued a notification confirming the restoration. According to details, on June 27, opposition members created a ruckus during the speech of Punjab Minister Maryam Nawaz, leading to verbal clashes and physical altercations. Following the incident, the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly suspended 26 opposition members for 15 sittings. Later, government members submitted four applications to the Speaker, requesting the Election Commission to issue disqualification notices against the opposition members. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
10 hours ago
- Business Recorder
PARTLY FACETIOUS: Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House
'Michael Wolff, author of the best-selling book titled Fire and Fury, made an interesting observation based on his unprecedented access to what happened in the Trump White House and his key staffers.' 'Oh what did he observe? That Trump's ideology…' 'Good heavens, no; not that cerebral. He noted that a lot of the staffers were women and all fit a similar mould: long hair worn down, skirts above the knee, high boots, and as per Wolff not always qualified for the roles they were secured. Why are you laughing?' 'Well,some amongst us wear shalwars well above the ankle but not above the knee.' 'Don't be facetious.' 'Sorry a more serious observation, women representatives wear make-up, the richer they are, the more expensive the make-up…' 'Shut up, I was being serious…' 'Alright I stand corrected. One more observation, relevant I promise.' 'OK go on!' 'Out of the 60 plus cabinet members today I reckon around 85 percent are not qualified for the jobs…' 'That's the percentage of indirect taxes in total collections whose incidence on the poor is greater than on the rich…' 'Now who is being facetious.' 'I stand corrected anyway in coalition governments selections are made to ensure the rule of the minority and…' 'I get it besides Wolff talked of staffers not elected members of parliament.' 'Ah so Nawaz Sharif had a preference for Fawad Hassan Fawad, his brother for Mr Langrial and…' 'And The Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless made appallingly bad selections, bad from his own perspective — he appointed the Chief Election Commissioner, then he appointed…' 'Yeah, I see some similarities. Wolff also wrote that it wasn't just that these women looked similar, they also looked like Melania…' 'Well no one has seen The Third Wife of the Man Who Must Remain…' 'I give up.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
10 hours ago
- Business Recorder
CDA chief vows to uproot illegal housing societies
ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman and Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, has reaffirmed the authority's firm resolve to curb illegal housing societies, land encroachments, and unauthorised developments in the federal capital. The announcement came during a high-level meeting at CDA Headquarters, where the progress of ongoing enforcement actions—undertaken on the directives of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi—was reviewed in detail. The CDA chairman was briefed that actions were actively underway against illegal housing societies operating without approved layout plans or No Objection Certificates (NOCs). Several unauthorised offices have been sealed, and the NOCs of numerous societies have been cancelled as per law. Citizens have been urged to consult CDA's online portal for an updated list of approved and unapproved societies before making any investments. Randhawa warned that no society is allowed to sell plots beyond the approved layout plan, and any violation will invite strict legal action. He also cautioned advertisers and construction material suppliers to avoid dealing with unauthorized societies. In a separate meeting held earlier in the day, Randhawa chaired a performance review session focused on CDA's development initiatives. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
