Pakistan’s Parliament may be cash-strapped as a nation, but its lawmakers showed remarkable enthusiasm when a few thousand rupees appeared on the floor of the National Assembly this week. What began as a simple question turned into a priceless moment of comedy, perfectly reflecting the country’s political mood.
During Monday’s session, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq spotted ten PKR 5,000 notes lying under a desk. Instead of quietly handing them over, he decided to conduct a live test of honesty. Waving the cash for everyone to see, he asked, “Whose money is this? Whoever it belongs to, please raise your hand.”
The answer arrived shockingly fast. Around a dozen MPs threw their hands up almost instantly, each confident that the money belonged to them. The Speaker was forced to state the obvious. “There are 10 notes, yet 12 owners.” With that, the House paused and Pakistan found a new political meme.
Too many claimants, too little cash
The mystery money eventually made its way back to its rightful owner, according to Pakistan’s Aaj TV. It reportedly belonged to Muhammad Iqbal Afridi of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. He later collected it from the Assembly office. No word on whether the other 11 enthusiastic “owners” received consolation prizes.
Pakistanis add fuel to the fire
Once the video went viral, Pakistanis unleashed their signature humour mixed with embarrassment. Many mocked their representatives for leaping faster for cash than for legislation.
“The Speaker missed 25 calls from Sharif brothers,” tweeted Mahnoor Asif. Others argued that the incident was just a regular day in Pakistani politics. “They take salaries and perks in millions, yet this is their state,” another user wrote.
Even Maryam Nawaz Sharif found herself dragged into the spectacle. On Facebook, Razia Sultan wrote, “PMLN is such a poor party. The Speaker should have given them the money, it would have helped get Maryam Nawaz slim.”
Someone else summed it up more bluntly: “How honest our parliament is can be seen by this scenario.”
The note natak that mirrors the nation
The brief money drama in Parliament almost mirrors Pakistan’s own economy. A handful of notes lying on the floor and a dozen hands racing to claim them feels eerily similar to the country’s dependence on international loans that often run out long before everyone gets their share.
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