Reshuffle in the offing?
Isloo’s wags are saying there’s a cabinet reshuffle in the offing. Cynics say it won’t happen and that these are empty threats from on high. The wags insist that Tiger Ali & Son are going to get shafted because they foul-mouthed Rana S, who’s The Man of Steel’s right hand person in the Punjab, after his Talented Bro. The problem between Tiger Ali & Son and Rana S has to do with preeminence in Faisalabad, one of Pakistan’s largest industrial cities. We think it’s a foregone conclusion that Rana S will win this bout. Then there’s the face-off between KA and Talented Bro. And AI, the great Planner, who’s said to be getting a more important portfolio than the one he already has.
Meanwhile, back in Lahore, there was a lot of soul-searching following the narrow win in NA 122 and the loss of the provincial assembly seat. They say The Man of Steel doled out the flak himself and even took his nephew to task. Rumour has it that another nephew is soon to be inducted into politics so that La Familia’s clout remains undiminished.
“Hull chull”
There’s a lot of “Hull Chull” in The Great Khan’s camp too. We hear SMQ is at home, sulking, and may be weighing his options viz a viz another political party. No prizes for guessing which one! A little bird in khaki also told us that the former “Umpire” who was supposed to have given The Man of Steel “out” during last year’s dharna, made an interesting revelation. He told a former colleague that he’d advised The Great Khan to tie the knot quickly, lest a scandal surface to undermine his leadership.
We’ve also been told that the Hashemite, who parted ways with The Great Khan last year, is exploring the possibility of returning to The Man of Steel’s party. But he has a condition: the Hashemite insists that The Man must visit him at his home in Multan to ask him to rejoin the party.