What $1.5b can buy

[WaseemBhai]

WASEEM SIDDIQUI


If it is too good to believe....it probably is

For several days this saying constantly keeps hitting my head like a hammer. I have tried to find out who was the person who said it and why he said it.

All my research and going through reems and reems of paper and a mountain of information has not given me any concrete or solid answer except that a 'wise man' came up with this theory. It didn't tell me why he came up with this idiom.

However after a lot of thinking suddenly a name flashed in my memory. But wait. If I tell you the name of that 'wise man' all the suspense will come to an end.

Reveal that name I will but it will be upto you to find it out as it is hidden somewhere in this article. And I am sure you all are wise enough to draw your own conclusions. You'll be as pleasantly surprised as I exactly was once you figure out that name. But you'll have to read this article carefully or else it may still remain shrouded in mystery.

Don't ask me "Zulekha mard thi ya aurat" after all this tale had been told.

To get to know that name you'll have to find answer to another question which is a clue in itself.

What $1.5bn "Do-Riyals" can buy?

I can't say anything about others. But I know that mirror shows me only my face when I stand in front of it. I asked myself this question and came up with my clear conscious with the correct answer. I won't lie as I don't want to be called a hypocrite.

It can buy my loyalties, my love, my soul, my blood, my loved ones, my beliefs, my life. Anything and everything in this world. Even my countrymen and even country itself. I know I can be doomed by openly accepting and saying all this but I am not a hypocrite.

I am the proud countryman of that dollar dreaming 'wise man' who knew fully well when he talks and knew fully well what is on the horizon when he revealed that he will bring the dollar rate to under 100 rupees at a time when it was selling at an all time high of 110. And see now within a week or so of his prediction the rupee rate is 97 to a dollar.

People do enjoy when Shaikh Rasheed of Lal Haveli speaks but do not take him seriously. But even by Shaikh's standards it was such a lofty claim that when the wise finance minister of Pakistan Ishaq Dar predicted the revaluation of rupee to such an epic level, the Shaikh blurted that he will quit politics if Dar will do it. Little he knew about Dar's 'friends'.

Whether he will quit the politics or say he will if Dar can keep it at that level for the next five years I can't say but one thing is for sure. The combination of dollar and riyal is so mighty that it can buy anything. And 1.5b of it? Oh my God. I can't imagine of its power of purchase.

There was lately a flurry of VVIPs arrivals to our country from our brotherly Muslim nation who has always been so kind to us.Everybody was speculating about the reasons for a sudden show of solidarity by our Muslim brothers.

Now the truth is revealed. We have been given a 'no strings attached' gift of $1.5 billion by the King of Saudi Arabia."Ahlan wa sahlan marhaba".

Our wise man and magical wand wielding finance minister Ishaq Dar has categorically stated that the grant is not a loan. It is a gift which has not to be repaid. Nor the Saudis have attached any conditions to it in return.

Advisor to Prime Minister on National security and Foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz seconded Dar and confirmed that what the finance mister is saying is true..

True it may be but then what to do about that saying. If it is too good to be true......it keeps echoing in the ears. it keeps telling it is not probably it truly is too good to believe.

This also leads to another question. The rumour mill is in full swing and there is a question on everybody's lip. What has Pakistan sold in return for this big gift. Several theories and possible scenarios are circulating and the curious minds want answers to them.

In these circumstances two explanations come to the mind. There have been an open talk about Pakistan foreign policies and there have been several reports, published, around the globe that say in clear words that the Pakistan foreign policy is for sale. And some others connect it to the current trial of former president Parvez Musharraf.

Aziz has been constantly busy in refuting the foreign policy question. In assemblies, in parliament, in committees, in Senate, in press briefings. He kept stressing that there has been no change in Pakistan's foreign policies. But present scenarios keep pointing to that question.

Aziz, addressing a meeting of the Senate's standing committee on foreign affairs said only a couple of days ago that Saudi Arabia has given a gift of $1.5b to Pakistan which has not to be repaid adding in the same breath that Pakistan would not send men and weapons to Syria or any other country going through a civil unrest.

"The grant given by Saudi Arabia is unconditional and Pakistan is not supposed to anything in return to the kingdom", Aziz said.

The grant has given a much needed fillip to the Pakistani economy and resulted in a big revaluation if its currency and reports have been attributed to Pakistan's u-turn in its foreign policy over the Syrian issue.
What ever the truth be. Pakistan needs to tread very carefully before getting involved in another volatile issue which may have far dangerous repercussions than its involvement in Afghanistan.

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[EagleEyes]

I love the image you picked out @WaseemBhai