PARTLY FACETIOUS: We are not the only ones who define stabilisation as success in borrowing
'Right, we are the only ones who define economic stabilisation as getting access to external loans.'
'That's so unfair.'
'Hey, we have USD16 billion in rollovers from friendly countries and our reserves by end-June were 12.7 billion dollars, and this does not take account of multilateral…'
'When I said your statement was unfair, I was simply referring to the fact that we are not the only ones who define stabilization as success in borrowing – there are other countries.'
'Hmmmm… I know what you meant by saying we are the trailblazers – our army chief is the only one in the history of the United States who got invited for lunch by the US President. I am not sure what was discussed but…'
'President Trump has not announced punitive tariffs against us as he did for other countries including India.'
'I thought he did, 29 percent, and unless he announces their removal…'
'He hasn't restated that.'
'I thought the countries he doesn't mention are countries on which the standard Trump rate will apply?'
'Don't be facetious, anyway, when I said we are the trailblazers I was referring to our prime minister proposing Trump's name for a Nobel Peace Prize.'
'That's true — Shehbaz Sharif is a trailblazer for …?'
'Yes but sycophancy…'
'Support.'
'OK support does not outpace Rutte's, or those of other European leaders and…'
'That's true, welcome to 2025 when globalization has been redefined as the year of global sycophancy.'
'Yaaaay.'
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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