The Imran Khan cum Khurshid Kasuri jalsa last week made it abundantly clear that while politicians rant about caretakers and takeovers, it is the chair takers that are grabbing the spotlight.
Last week Kasur, that home of Bulleh Shah proved to be home to some of the most skilled looters. This lot barely waited for Imran Khan and Kasuri to get out of the way before they unleashed a dangal of their own, the prize being the thousands of plastic chairs laid out for participants, all this caught on camera. If the embarrassed organisers are to be believed the whole episode was part of a charitable act where chairs were gifted away after the show but than comes the counter charge: it was a really a rent-a crowd, the rent being as many chairs as you can grab at the end of the jalsa.
Whatever the explanation, the jalsa may be a trend setter of sorts. In future, organisers will have to hand out little gift boxes and have thousands of security personnel to guard their equipment and that is an added expense. Politics for the richer, no doubt about that.
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It seems that impressed by the way her Filipino nanny managed to make her case against her and spurned by a young politician from the Raiwind clan, a lady called Ayesha Malik has taken things into her own hand. She has opened an NGO for the protection of women’s rights and hired a journalist to make sure she and her cause get ample projection in the media.
Unfortunately, though, the first instalment of 15 lakh rupees has been paid, the lady has not become a star nor has any awareness programme been launched by the baby NGO. The lady we hear is now complaining incessantly that there is no work done by the hired hand. Well she can always fire the help but then remember the case of her Filipino nanny.
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Apparently, The Punjab Assembly has a major problem on its hand. It rarely has a quorum to pass legislation. The parliamentary secretary spends his life enticing people to come. The problem is they rarely listen to him. This time, by some miracle, there was a quorum for a space of two days.
The ruling party jumped on the opportunity and put up all the 21 bills it had on its agenda. 20 were passed at the speed of 10 a day like an assembly line. This we hear is a new record for this parliament or any other. Of course, the speed was such that it did not allow time for discussion. But, then, who cares? Except those who cry hoarse that the National Assembly has become irrelevant owing to non-performance.
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