I frequently meet people from the north of the country who think sea water is fit for drinking. When I was running a salt works, a Customs Deputy Collector (Maqsood Butt) actually told me that our salt was not fit for human consumption because the water we made it from was not drinkable. It took me a long while to convince him that if sea water were suitable for drinking, there would be no water shortage in Karachi.

So, after Imran Khan's recent (unverified) claim that oil in huge quantities had been discovered under the sea near Karachi, I thought what would happen if one of his ministers came to Karachi and saw the Arabian Sea for the first time. I can imagine Information Minister Fawad Choudhry or Murad Saeed announcing it at a news conference:

"We have made a  a huge discovery of water near Karachi. Called "Arabian Sea" by local residents, it is estimated that the quantity of water in it is equal to more than the water in a million Tarbela dams. As it contains only about 3% salt, it can easily be converted to drinkable water with minor treatment. This discovery proves that our party leadership is absolutely honest, pious and good Muslims. The water can easily be transported right up to the northern areas to fill Tarbela and Mangla dams when the water level in those two dams falls below dead level, which happens a few times every year. Pakistan will soon be able to export water to water scarce countries like Somalia, earning valuable foreign exchange for the country".

And know what? I wouldn't be surprised if PTI morons actually believe it.

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