Ref: LETTER TO EDITOR Date: JULY 20, 1998

Last weekend I was a guest at an engagement party at a five-star hotel. I glanced around and, to my amazement, I saw Professor Iqbal Ismail’s friend, Bulbul. Taking advantage of his presence and knowing well that ever since the KSE went on a tailspin, the Bulbul has been assiduously avoiding the Professor, I ventured forth to shoot the breeze with him.

After the usual pleasantries (on a multi-metered phone, it would have cost me some money) I asked him today’s most relevant question: "Say, Bulbul, has the stock market touched rock bottom?" The Bulbul, with a permanent smirk on his face, looked up from the tepid cola that he was imbibing, shrugged his shoulders, and said very casually: "The answer is (a) if you hit rock bottom you scream, and no one has heard the screams yet, and (b) it is not nice to talk about "bottoms" in polite company."

Sincerely:

MAJYD AZIZ