"So how long do you reckon?"

"How long would it take for Mian sahib to realise that the price of potatoes does not determine his government's popularity?"

"How come Mian sahib knows the price of potatoes? I heard potatoes are not good for heart patients."

"That explains it doesn't it, I mean Mian sahib loves potatoes - potatoes raise the risk of heart disease - which may explain why he had to have triple bypass surgery recently."

"Hmm, potatoes and especially French fries are a great favourite with children irrespective of their culture and their..."

"Speaking of culture and natural heritage, I was devastated to learn that Mian sahib has also taken away the Ministry of Culture and Natural Heritage from Parveen... sorry, sorry, sorry, this silly keyboard is just too much... anyway my point is OK you took away Pervez Rashid's Ministry of Information but why culture and natural heritage?" "Mian sahib has clubbed the three together."

"Why? There is no possible connection..."

"Because my friend if you control information then you control all else - be it culture or natural heritage."

"What about the economy?"

"Hey, if you control information then the assumption is that you have enough information to understand which of your colleague is more powerful and act accordingly."

"Don't be facetious anyway when I asked you to bet on how long it would take I was actually referring to how long it would take for Mian sahib to alienate the new chief of army staff...and please, please before you get uppity let me state that I am basing this query on the quality of his past relationships with army chiefs when he was the prime minister, and this in spite of the fact that he is responsible for appointing the maximum number of army chiefs of anyone."

"Ah, if only army chiefs would learn to act like nawalas."

"Don't be facetious."

Source: Business Recorder