Islamabad's emperors may have changed from time to time, but their policy towards black coats never faltered. To quote one emperor of the sixties "I tell my lawyer what I want and he translates it into law. Not the other way around." A back coat, no matter how glorified, was just a hired hand there to do the master's bidding. However things may never be the same after the celestial Friday night gathering at Islamabad's parade ground. Here the black coats, euphoric after the phenomenal success of their Long March, were actually telling an emperor-without-clothes some facts about life. Also giving a reluctant Parliament some lessons on responsibilities. We wait and see. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Word has it that the Lahore Governor's House is now home to an odd couple. There is the born-again Jiala and billionaire who recently became the occupant of this colonial mansion. And then there is his principal secretary, once a committed NAB civil servant assigned the task of tracing somebody's accounts in Switzerland. Apparently this forensic civil servant was not too popular with the guv's political bosses and still has information some people would love to get their hands on. Post-NRO the man found himself transferred to the guv's office then under a general, once his boss at NAB. However with the new guv bending over backwards to display his PPP credentials, the ex-NAB, Post-NRO civil servant may soon be looking for another job. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Rumour has it that Raja Riaz, Senior Minister, Irrigation Minister and PPP Parliamentary Leader, has so many portfolios that he is beginning to count his blessings. One that Qasim Zia and Rana Aftab were wiped out in the election and two that Shah Mahmood Qureshi was made Foreign Minister and put out of local circulation. However there is a by-election in the offing and Qasim is back in the running. Should the latter win, Raja Sahib may just have to shed one assignment. Now will he take being demoted from a three-star minister to a two-star one just lying down? No, claim his rivals. They say the man is making subtle moves to ensure that the election outcome does not disturb his elevated standing in the House. Even if it means that the rival party wins. Politics is the art of the possible after all.