This hapless nation of 160 millions is defunct, for at least, a billion hours each day. No hope is on the horizon. Being just physically defunct is less than half the hoax. We, certainly, are suffering post-traumatic disorder. This is bad for our national psyche. And it is going to get worse.

Political pundits would be compressed to produce a scapegoat on short order. The nascent administration in polity, is a coalition of erstwhile rival political parties. They have nothing to do with the mess. They have inherited it. The carpet bagger, who is, has already left the country. His profession kept him with his only love: “Other peoples’ money”, and he knew how to profit out of it! The robber fiscal wizard left before electiuons, like a fly-by-nite salesman.

Sense of utter helplessness is devastating. Repeated dark hours instill very dark ideas. Pakistanis must, always give vent to their pent-up feelings. It is a compulsion. The physical target has vanished. A lot of us happen to have mobile phones. And we make several calls to express our anger. One wouldn’t care or dare transcribe the vulgar diction. I would certainly fail to convey the graphic and gratifying finesse of our native vernacular. Moreover, English is our third language.

Robert Clements – a syndicated columnist – compiled a list of examples from sub-continent people, who claim: English to be their second language. I present a few of them as thus:

• “Thank you for this kind wastage of your time”!
• “Sir, I thank you from the heart of my bottom”!
• “From here it will be five miles, as the cock crows”!
• “You bloody damn; I’ll blow your nose”!
• “I am a simple man. I speak what is in my mind. I have nothing in my behind!”
  
  

The scribe is well-versed only in a dialect of Punjabi, which is listed as the 14th in the comity of global languages. These days, it is seldom seen in written format, though. Our “Founding Uncles” liked Urdu, and enforced it as the National language! None of the federating units of Pakistan had Urdu as their mother tongue.

During the Victorian period the British elite used French for their love letters. Just like them, we the left-over Pakistanis, use Urdu, as Ligua Franea, for our formal and written communications. Needless to state, we seldom grasp the finesse of Urdu, either. I once tried to render the following Punjabi expression in Urdu.

“Gori nha kay chappurr whichoon nikle, tey sulfay the lot verggi.”

If you are a Punjabi and you could transcribe it in any other language, you would be welcome to collect a high value gift hamper. The above stated narration is only to explain, my personal handicap. No doubt there would be several honorable exceptions of whom, I remain ignorant about. Certainly, the lot of you, are already convinced: I am off my rocker. Couldn’t agree more. That’s what precisely happens when one is subjected to abnormal power outages. This one admits on record. What about all the rest?

Under stress and duress, we just say-it-all – even to a wrong number. For fear or favour no one would dare or care to see his / her comments in black and white. However, the outbursts depict the doubtful ancestry of the presumed villain/s, plus graphic details of some prime elements of the anatomy of their geographic relatives. This phase of several reactions is time-bound to: Restoration of judicial system in Pakistan and Premier League cricket matches in India. Whichever comes to a fair close first?

Immediately thereafter, food, and fuel price hikes are going to dawn on the multitudes. Abnormally raised utility bills would shock the so-called consumers. Add heat and humidity factors and you have a recipe for unpleasant forecasts. Let us pray for miracles. It is certainly in order to place on record a specific psycho-somatic disorder in our national behavior pattern. Individually, we tend to express our despondence – verbally. In case of disorderly mob configuration, we can be very self-destructive.

On or beyond the 12th of May, a multistage legal rocket is scheduled to be blasted off from National Assembly platform. It would be spectacular. Let us hope it reaches its predermined orbit, with GPS navigation. This launch has, however obscured the explosive (for Pakistan) exclusive interview of Senator Hillary Clinton with the Fox. It has not merited any meaningful mention in our native dispatches, though.

National Assembly would be preoccupied with the restoration issue; hence Atta and other vital consumable shall not receive attention notices, on the “flour” of the House! Would it spill over to the street? Its prevention depends upon the sagacity of all the political entities in the country? The aforestated random seismic probes are submitted for your casual consideration. Hereafter I present the one, only a few choose to explore. It is about the global price hike of food and fuel.

The basic economic meters stipulate that: price is a game of supply and demand. Even if I be smoking the narcotic weed, I cannot swallow that food and fuel demand has multiplied four-fold during three years! One has to be out of ones, senses, to blame Indo-China demand plus biofuel factors. Please be advised to investigate the Dollar / Euro tussle. The greenback carry’s the declaration: “In God we trust”. Other than this noble proclamation, could the American dollar have any other substantiation? Late Saddam Hussein would be alive and kicking inspite of a stock pile of WMDS. He foolishly declared his serious intent to sell his oil in a basket of other currencies!

Ladies and gentlemen, it is not the glittering gold that substantiates this Promissory Note, it is the black gold. If oil were to be sold against any other documentary credit the American dollar shall achieve the status of Russian Ruble of early nineties of the past century?