Did some one say that former PM, Shaukat Aziz, is a spent penny? Quite the contrary. In fact, he may be a coin that is negotiable in any market, especially in the black gold sheikhdoms and kingdoms. Word has it that SA is a much sought after head-hunter for an oil-rich, flush-with-cash emirate and was recently instrumental in finding new bosses for its bank and telecom company in Pakistan. But even this assignment pales in significance with what else he may have in the bag.
We hear that he is processing a three billion dollar loan from a Saudi consortium to bail out a desperately cash-strapped Islamabad. In an ingenious move, the collateral will be the overseas Pakistanis remittances, since there is nothing else left to mortgage. Now that is a few more brownie points on his CV and perhaps more money in the bank. One assumes he is not working pro bono.
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Losing the World Cup semifinal to India was a mega disappointment but there were some high moments for Pakistan and one has to be thankful for Allahs small mercies. There was the win against Australia and we hear it coincided with a huge reception at the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi.
The gathering was in honour of a huge lawyers delegation to India led by the SCBA President, Asma Jehangir. The reception was attended, among others, by the charismatic mantri M S Gill, also former Election Commissioner of India. It was a day of jubilation for Pakistanis and those living in New Delhi were more charged than others being in hostile territory and closer to the venue of the upcoming Pakistan-India semifinal.
Suddenly and with mantri Gill in the hearing zone, our ambassadors wife Ghazala, was heard shouting We will win the semifinal. We will beat them on their own soil. Undiplomatic and, as it turned out, untrue. It seems Indian parrots and Pakistani patriots have a lot in common.
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