White Lies

There are many ways of pleasing the boss. You can plain grovel up to him or you can find ways of doing the same with finesse. Apparently Wajid Shamsul Hassan, our High Commissioner in London, prefers to do it subtly and in style. For instance last week he gave his boss' the visiting Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmud Qureshi, a dinner at his official residence. Now the evening may not have left a lasting impression on the FM had it not been for a news report that appeared in London's Urdu daily the very next day. The item gave minute details of the effort that went into making that dinner memorable. It revealed how involved the ambassador's family was in organizing the event. The arty floral arrangements, we hear, materialized after three days of labour by Wajid's daughter-in-law and her friends. We learn that the chapli kebabs, a hot item on the menu, were also prepared by the daughter-in-law, and according to a family recipe. Now if this does not get the boss to write a hearty recommendation for His Excellency, then nothing will.

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Happy families have one thing in common. They are happiest when they stick together, this being truer than true of PM Yousuf Raza Gilani's brood. They cannot be apart even when papa leaves on an arduous state visit to Washington. Last week when he did just that, the ménage went with him, sons and daughter-in-law included. In fact Gillani went to great lengths to maintain family ties, putting up with the inconvenience of seeking official permission for his son and heir to accompany him to the White House. And what a trip. The diplomatic mission was a disaster but the family holiday was a roaring success. The entourage even managed a stopover in London, all on the house and well-timed to catch the closing day of Harrod's sale.

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