In the nick of time
Our mole in the Punjab police reports that a dastardly scheme plotted by some exceptionally clever terrorists was unraveled just in the nick of time. They say a group of terrorists, affiliated to the barbaric Taliban, but with a high level of sophistication had planned to kidnap a scion of La Familia. The plan was to rent a house in Lahore, close to the residence of the scion’s close pal, befriend the family, and set up visiting rights. The next step envisaged a murder – of the pal – which tragic happening the scion would come to condole and then the deed would be done. While the scion was in the house, visiting the bereaved family, his security detail outside would be attacked, and the “mourners” within would overpower the scion, drag him out and drive away with him.
A lucky tip-off alerted the police and true to script, they discovered the terrorists ensconced in a house neighbouring a pal’s place. When they took the suspects off for interrogation, the whole sordid saga was revealed and dismantled in good time.
Half the sentence
There was much glee in certain quarters when it was reported, apropos General Bobby’s trip to the US that the Yanks and our khakis had hugged and made up and all was hunky dory once again. As evidence, a quotation from Uncle Sam’s sec of state was cited ad nauseam. The khakis, the sec apparently said, were the “binding force” of Pakistan. But this was only half the sentence. What no one mentioned was the other half of the sec’s statement – the khakis are the “binding force of Pakistan, when they support civilian rule”. Nothing more, nothing less.