How a Microsoft font may bring down Nawaz Sharif govt?
In the midst of a deepening political crisis in Pakistan, the daughter of under-fire Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, Maryam, might have struck the final blow to the Sharif government. Maryam, while allegedly forging documents dating back to 2006, had used a Microsoft Word font which was nonexistent back then. Sharif's fate rests in the hands of Pakistan's Supreme Court now.
Details of Sharif's daughter's faux pas
Maryam had used the "Calibri" font while allegedly forging documents dating back to 2006. The font had not been available for public use before 31st January, 2007, thereby challenging Maryam's filing of documents. The fraud, detected by a team investigating illegal offshore assets flagged in the Panama Papers, puts the precarious Sharif government at serious risk. Sharif himself is facing charges of possible corruption.
Pakistan's Twitterati has a gala time over Maryam's fiasco
Pakistan's Twitterati had a field day, calling Maryam's fiasco #Fontgate. While some belittled Maryam's slip up, others posted interesting memes and references. One such instance included a Game of Thrones Season 7 poster, predicting that the Pakistani government would fall by the time GoT released.
The corruption charge against Nawaz Sharif
Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif is currently being investigated by the Pakistan Supreme Court on charges of possible corruption. Calling into question the legitimacy of Sharif's family's wealth, the probe demanded that the accused explain the sources of their wealth. If Sharif's family fails to do so, the Supreme Court shall assume that the PM and his family are guilty of corruption.
Pakistan witnesses back-to-back economic setbacks
To make matters worse for the Sharif administration, Pakistan is in an unstable state right now, to say the least. A day back, Pakistan's key stock index plummeted 4.7% to a seven month low, the biggest decline in said stock prices in eight years. This development came a week after the Pakistani Rupee saw the biggest nosedive in valuation in the last nine years.
Pakistan's woes as economy shows vulnerability
Despite the brief stability brought in by the Sharif government since it took power in 2013, the credibility of the Sharif administration is under fire now considering recent developments. The economy is increasingly showing signs of vulnerability as Pakistan's current account deficit increases, and its bread-and-butter exports, like textiles, decline. Regardless of the Supreme Court's verdict, Pakistan remains in a state of political tension.
