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![]() Anjum IbrahimBusiness Recorder |
“Trump dished the French President.” “Dished? Like what? As in barbecue, curry?” “Or pizza – Nawaz Sharif does like pizza doesn’t...
“So bravado aside…” “Stop right there.” “I am not…” “Whatever you planned to do, stop right there, my friend. Bravado never ever...
“So, is plausible deniability, people specific?” “I think the right question is whether it is individual specific or portfolio specific.”...
The budget 2025-26 makes one implicit and three explicit assumptions that enable its architects to present a set of expenditure and revenue targets in...
“So the operative word is pre-emptive.” “What?” “It’s a good word. It justifies taking an action that does not have merit at the time it...
“The word blitzkrieg comes to mind.” “Whatever do you mean?” “Blitzkrieg means lightning war – an offensive warfare method responsible...
“A universal rule prevails: lessons need not be learned if they go counter to a declared strategy.” “I would have you know I do learn lessons -...
“Do we have any anger management classes in this country?” “I have never heard of such classes, why do you ask?” “Well many world leaders...
‘Operation Spiderweb’ “I learnt that 10,000 additional votes are referred to as an injection.” “Really! Who said that?” “Well informed...
“What’s the difference between judicious and judiciary?” “Hey, there is no relationship between the two words that I know of. And if this is...
“There are reports that Prince Harry explored the option of taking his mother’s last name.” “Ooops.” “What?” “Well if he is a Spencer...
There is an ongoing housing crisis in several European countries attributed to locals renting out to tourists, prompting anti-tourism protests in...
“I was wondering….” “Hey, a country’s survival always trumps the economy, so I reckon defence outlay will increase in the forthcoming...
“So is there agreement or isn’t there agreement?” “On what?” “On the budget. Has the International Monetary Fund’s team approved the...
Donor agencies have been clamouring for reforms in Pakistan’s unfair, inequitable and anomalous tax structure but to date to no avail. Ideally, the...
“One must change with the times, don’t you think!” “C S Lewis, the well-known author of children’s books said isn’t it funny when day by...
“I understand that politicians can no longer rely on optics to look good given the prevalence of social media.” “Right, but could someone tell...
“You know there is so much the West can learn from us!” “Well, the food here is…” “They have Pakistani and Indian food outlets in their...
“Naming and shaming is a tool that is dead.” “It was not even birthed in the Land of the Pure. I mean, we go through cycles…” “Yes I know...
Uploading the first review report on the International Mone-tary Fund (IMF) website on the weekend (Saturday), eight days after the Board approved the...
Budget preparations are underway in the federal capital with major stakeholders putting in their requests for next year’s allocations (current and...
“I don’t understand it.” “What? That Modi is not happy and is…” “No I understand Modi – he hates Muslims in general and Pakistanis in...
“So what’s a treaty?” “A treaty is a binding formal agreement, contract, or any other written instrument that establishes obligations between...
“President Trump has signed over 140 billion dollar defence deals with the Saudi Crown prince.” “I have one question.” “Well don’t forget...
“You know, we show-cased the Chinese jets to the world, including the French Rafale, and I bet they have a massive list of orders and…” ...
“Prime Minister must revisit the actions of The Gang of Four.” “Modi is one, but I can’t guess who the other three are.” “One is the...
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated on 28 April, six days after the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 25 Indian and one Nepali...
“So the federal government has stated that the budget would be presented on 2 June.” “Right, but is that date contingent on the ongoing India...
“Has it died down, you reckon?” “Ï am not quite sure – one minister says that the country has avenged the attack by downing Indian planes...
“War is not a joke.” “Indeed not but…” “There is no but here – I want it to stop.” “What you said yesterday — Ye Men.”...
“Ye Men.” “Oh, for Pete’s sake! With India getting ever more belligerent, this is no time for such feminist remarks!” “What?” “OK, I...
“Why wasn’t the Greedy for Portfolios Samdhi (GPS) at the airport to welcome the Iranian Foreign Minister – a country which has good relations...
The Liberation Day “reciprocal” tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump were stayed for 90 days on 9 April for all countries except China....
“There is no proportionality.” “Right, Israel’s attacks in Gaza…” “That’s not what I was referring to.” “I thought there was...
“I can unhesitatingly say the country is finally united.” “War or the threat of war unites even a very divided nation.” “I remember the...
“I do think that the presence of all national leaders, not only regional, be ensured in the assembly…” “Nawaz Sharif has not yet...
“Just wondering about war strategies.” “Yes, daily exchange of fire across our borders with India after the Pahalgam attack…” “I am...
The history of Pakistan’s rating by all three international agencies — Standard and Poor’s (S&P), Moody’s and Fitch — is disturbing as the...
“Thank you, thank you and then again thank you.” “I am not sure who you are thanking and for what, but I hope that Indo-Pak tensions do not...
“Deception is part of state craft, isn’t it?” “Right Machiavelli wrote everyone admits how praiseworthy it is in a prince to keep his word,...
“I have it on very good authority….” “Your authority reminds me of that funny proverb – when in doubt, blame someone else. That’s the...
“It indicated a lack of…of….good manners” “If you are referring to the Cholistan project and the canals that Sindh, across the board now,...
“It disproved your theory.” “What theory?” “That what GPS wants he gets.” “OK so the power that be decided that the economy could not...
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has categorically stated that Pakistan has no intention of retaliating against the 29 percent tariffs imposed by...
“So the visitors were placed in the jail van and….” “Visitors really! The Hungarian Foreign Minister was a visitor, you can’t define those...
“Who did not perform?” “I am not sure what you are referring to! Oh wait did you mean outside Pakistan?” “No within Pakistan.” “Well...
“I am not sure President Zardari is well enough to revisit his focus on occupation of constitutional offices as opposed to heading ministries...
“Shakespeare said it right: much ado about nothing.” “Well, the Gazans are being massacred and…” “Right, but there is a new paradigm in...
“Barbie brand recently released Le Bron James Ken doll.” “Yes I know he is the first athlete to have a Ken doll, he is a basketball player, and...
The overarching economic strategy of the incumbent government is not quite focused on achieving macroeconomic stability, though that is certainly a...