(Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction. Learn to take a joke; you’ll live longer.)
BAGHPAT – Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu met his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan in the queue to get flags of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during Thursday’s polling.
Netanyahu, who wrapped up his own election triumph in time to campaign for ‘good friend’ Narendra Modi in India, saw Prime Minister Imran Khan two spots ahead of him in the long queue of BJP voters looking to get their hands of the party’s merchandise on Election Day.
“The Israeli premier was wearing his ‘NaMo’ shirt while Imran Khan was hoping he could get a BJP mug or something – nothing too conspicuous of course,” an eyewitness confirmed. “After spotting Khan, Netanyahu tapped on his shoulder, with both saying hello to one another and then looking the other way,” the eyewitness added.
Even though Pakistan does not officially recognise Israel, the two second interaction between Netanyahu and Khan is the first bilateral meeting between the two premiers.
Although both Pakistan and Israel deny that the interaction took place, geopolitical experts note this as the latest manifestation of the progress in relations between the two counties.
“Perhaps both of them can find common ground in their support for the BJP,” noted Michael Kugelman, the Senior Associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center.