For the me the real story in the controversy about Maryam Nawaz’ shoes isn’t how much they cost, or whether the attacks against are founded on sexism (in this case I don’t they are, but that’s another debate entirely) or any of that stuff.../1

...instead it’s the fact that the PML-N and the Nawaz family will never ever learn from their mistakes or the lessons of the past. I mean when you know (or at least you should have this much self-awareness) that you are perceived as corrupt by a significant.../2

...segment of the population, when you have been facing charges of corruption over the past couple of years and been dogged by allegations of it for decades now, when you know you are seen as elitist and out of touch, how stubborn do you have to be.../3

...to still go around wearing $1300 shoes and handbags. Surely they must have PR people advising them on this, surely there must be someone whispering in the background that it won’t kill them to wear say $400 shoes or $200 shoes from a public relations perspective.../4

...and there most likely is, it’s just that these guys are just too arrogant and obstinate to listen. Yeah Maryam can wear $1300 shoes if she wants and Mian Sahib can bomb around in flats in Park Lane but then sorry don’t complain when people attack you for it.../5

...given the multiple allegations (many of them true) against you. Either that or hire a better PR team because one solitary photo op at KFC is really not going to change anything.

And then the real story out of this is the fact that people keep on putting their.../6

...support behind the same old parties, rather by the same old stubborn, intransigent and corrupt parities and expect for some miraculous reason that things might be different the next time. It won’t be, the green satin jewel buckles Mules are staring you in the face.../7

...as are the night blue Saville Row blazers and telling you they won’t be.

One of the reasons the boys are so successful at suppressing democracy in Pakistan is because our political elite is completely bankrupt and it’s just all too easy to discredit them.../8

...and win the propaganda war. The military really don’t have to remain the true ruling power in this country, especially when both the ruling classes and the voting public continue to refuse to learn their lessons. /9

...Say what you want about Imran Khan and the PTI (and I say a lot!) but at least they offered a political third way, I mean it was a terrible third way , but at least it showed something outside the PPP and PML-N was possible. /10

Well who are we supposed to vote for? They are the lesser evil? There are no alternatives?

Actually these are little more than excuses to hind behind the fact that people themselves aren’t willing to change or make the effort to help shake up the political status quo.../11

...Vote socialist, Vote Jibran Nasir, vote for local independent candidates, come together to create new and viable grassroots political movements, hold the PPP and PML-N to account instead of fawning over them, at worst, or excusing almost everything they do.../12

...because they are the lesser evil. Stop hailing them as saviours, stop referring to them deferentially as Mian Sahin, or bhai jaan or whatever. Stop going around taking selfies with them. Stop performing the worst form of mental gymnastics to defend the absolutely.../13

...indefensible. Too many people who can actually hold the old political order to account are just far too cozy with these guys and are happy for the status quo to last for perpetuity. Let’s be honest what have Maryam or Bilawal ever done to warrant anyone’s political support /14

outside of being who they are? Like genuinely one tangible achievement to their names. Time people stopped pointing their fingers at insaafians or the establishment of khalai makhlooq and realise that the culpability for all of this is far more widespread.../15

We are all complicit, most of us just don’t want to admit to it. /16

Just to clarify I am neither a Lahori (not sure where that came from) nor is this an apologia for the PTI my views on whom are very very clear and out in the open.