Where is finance minister Ishaq Dar? Answer: he's in London. Why is he in London? He's undergoing cardiac procedures at hospital. Will he come back after his treatment is over? No. Will he be relinquishing his post because of his absence and ailment anytime soon? No. The Dar story presents a sardonic comment on the state of governance in Pakistan. According to reports, however, the government has decided, in principle, to remove Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and is considering two options: appointment of a State Minister or formation of an advisory council headed by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to look after the Finance Ministry.

It has also been reported that final decision in this regard will be taken by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is leaving for London in a couple of days as Dar is unlikely to return after court issued his non-bailable arrest warrants.

How ironic it is that an accused in a corruption reference will be requesting, or asking another accused in the same case to quit finance minister's post.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017