It is generally believed that a persons pet reflects his character and lifestyle. So how does one interpret the growing trend of having pets that cannot be patted on the back and who could readily make a meal out of you if let out of their cages. In the past it was the N Leaguers who flouted a pet lion during election time and that too because it happened to be their electoral symbol. That lion was well fed and highly sedated and yet it provoked screams from onlookers. Recently that trend is picking pace. Many resourceful people now have lions, tigers, leopards and cougars as pets and the venue for such a big cat assemblage is usually a farm house. In fact, one collector has gone overboard. He maintains at least 22 big cats in a farm house in Bedian on the outskirts of Lahore. Many among them are rare if not threatened species. The man runs a private zoo, visitors are prohibited and though a huge aviary and a couple of primates can be seen, the piece de resistance is definitely the big cat collection. We hear that he runs a cattle breeding farm for the specific purpose of maintaining an uninterrupted supply of meat for his big kitties. How such a project continues to exist just a stone away from The Rangers Headquarters remains a mystery and a potentially dangerous one at that. Oh for the good old days when a satiated and sedated N League lion could make you sit up and scream.
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The Lahore Gymkhana election held this week was a battle ground this time between two groups, the so-called old guards and the just as old guards. There were so many election fliers being mailed to voting members that even the city postmen began complaining about the workload. Letters of self praise and lists of allegations and counter allegations, some of them as long as the War Commission Report, came pouring in through the post. The result was a close six to five which led to an interesting development. A candidate who had been rejected by both panels forcing him to stand as an independent, actually made it with a sizeable vote. He now held the crucial vote that could lead to a clear win or a tie. Suddenly he was being courted by both panels. Of course he joined the winners team of six who also happened to make him an offer he could not refuse. Every dog may not but every candidate certainly has his day and price.
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