Prime Minister Imran Khan must like what his Bangladeshi counterpart is doing. She has had an assistant professor of sociology arrested for criticising her, just as she had another professor arrested for criticising her father. That’s a bit like criticising the Quaid-e-Azam, true, but another player of the 1971 secession of East Pakistan, Lt Gen A.A.K. Niazi, was not only at Imran’s walima (the first one), but sat prominently on the stage.

Of course, Imran had other worries. Zulfiqar Bokhari’s appointment as his Special Assistant was challenged in the Supreme Court on the ground that he was a British national. He is eminently qualified to be the Special Assistant of a PM who is himself in and out of NAB offices. Bokhari is the guy who tried to oil out appearing before NAB on the ground that he was a British national. He didn’t try to oil out of the job he got on that plea.

The courts seem bent on giving Imran grief. The Supreme Court turned down Jehangir Tareen’s review petition on the judgement disqualifying him as neither sadiq nor ameen. Then it also ordered the arrest of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s son-in-law, for his involvement in the Eden Developers’ case, of which the affectees had staged a demo outside Imran’s house in Lahore.

It hasn’t reached the courts, but I’m sure Imran must be taking an interest in the Council of Islamic Ideology’s decision that three talaqs at one sitting shan’t count as three, and indeed should be punished. The CII will recommend a punishment after consulting scholars. Imran should be consulted on divorce matters. His knowledge isn’t just theoretical. After all, he went through two divorces.

One place where he might seek relief is in the Asia Cup. Pakistan not just went down to India, but also to Bangladesh, to ensure a Bangladesh-India final in the Asia Cup, which means that our boys had done their patriotic duty. Is it their fault that the diplomats haven’t solved the Kashmir issue?

Bangladesh won against Pakistan partly through the efforts of a certain Muhammad Mithun, who got 60. Was he named after Mithun Chakraborty? The latter, one of Bollywood’s biggest stars during the 1990s, was born in then East Pakistan, and did much work in Bengali films. Is the batsman also a disco dancer? The film star had song ‘I am a Disco Dancer’ picturised on him, which included the immortal and profound lyrics, “Too-roo-ru-ru-roo”. For those old enough to remember, Mithun Chakraborty brought full boots into the mainstream. He’s about the same age as Imran, but now no longer aspires to hero’s roles. He too went into politics, doing nearly three years in the Rajya Sabha for the Trinamul Congress. In his youth, he was a Naxalite, at a time when Imran was staying away from politics. Let’s see where Muhammad Mithun goes.

Speaking of India, people may sympathise with the passenger of a private airline who was put off a Mumbai-Kolkata flight because he tried to get into the cockpit to charge his mobile. Earlier, a passenger was taken prisoner during a New Delhi-Patna flight, when he tried to open an exit door. He was released after he convinced interrogators that he thought it was a toilet door.

The air seems hazardous in India, even on the ground. The Indian Vice-Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Shirish Baban Deo, shot himself in the thigh at home. He was proof that pilots shouldn’t be trusted with personal weapons.

More earthbound, but still in the air, and still in Delhi, like the good Air Marshal, was a block of flats, which collapsed the other day, killing six. Presumably the Modi government was left unfazed. Too busy killing people in Kashmir, I suppose.

Footnote to these notes: I know Americans do things differently, but the way the nominee for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, has been savaged, would be impossible over here. For a start, the accusations that he sexually harassed a fellow teacher at a law school, or that he threw up while drunk, would not be made. Both are criminal charges, remember. But being a harasser hasn’t stopped Donald Trump from becoming President. Is being a harasser one’s private business? Well, is having an illegitimate daughter?

Well, I see the PM House buffaloes have been auctioned off. Good. Now we can build those dams, I suppose. And there will be no need to make the budget fit the IMF’s expected demands. That’s what we had a minibudget for, in case you didn’t notice, not to mention the hike in the gas tariff. Maybe we won’t know what hit us, not after the PM’s cars auction left Imran swimming in cash.