Parker Brothers have announced the arrival of their much-awaited version of Monopoly for the Pakistani market, just in time for Christmas. It is based on the popular UK version; however, there are some subtle differences to make the game more accessible to the Pakistani mentality.
Firstly, the traditional tokens (car, boat, hat, iron etc) do not move around the board any more. Instead, they all sit at home smoking cigars and send out their naukrs (‘servants’) to do their deeds for them. This is accomplished not by rolling dice but by beating the naukr with a specially provided iron rod a specified number of times, eg beating a naukr 50 times means move 2 squares, 100 times for 3 squares etc.
Secondly, money does not change hands via the banker as in the UK version. Instead, all transactions must be carried out under the table, inside brown paper lifafas. Players can intercept lifafas and act as middlemen, taking their own cut as they see fit.
Devaluation and inflation is a new factor in the Pakistani version, and so a money minting machine is provided to pay off debts with increasingly worthless pieces of paper. However, after about 3 or 4 turns, most players generally only accept hard currency.
When a player lands on a another player’s property, as in the UK version, rent is due. However, the Pakistani version adds much more. If someone lands on your property, not only can you charge them rent, but you can also at shoot them with shotguns, beat them up, arrange for them to be arrested and kidnap them or their children. They won’t come back again in a hurry.
The “income tax” squares have been removed and replaced with “screw taxes” squares.
Not only can you “Get Out of Jail Free” using a Chance card, you can also “Put another player in jail”, “Put the supreme court judge in jail”, “Get of of jail for a small bribe” and “Get your wife pregnant while you are in jail.”
Several new “Chance” and “Community Chest” squares have been introduced:
“Martial law. All your property has been seized by political opponents. Return all property to the bank.”
“Cricket betting scandal in your favour - collect 2,000,000 rupees”
“Hospital error not in your favour - amputate one leg and go back 3 squares.”
“Death threat - hide for 3 weeks”
“The BBC are making a documentary about you - make an eedeeot of yourself and collect $10”
“Land dispute with Pathan tenants - miss a turn.”
Due to the anticipated success of this version, Parker brothers plan to introduce a version for Pakistanis living in the UK. Unique ways of making money and losing it can be found in the Chance cards:
“Benefit fraud in your favour - collect $200 seven times in three different names every time you pass go.”
“Pakistanis have moved in next door - devalue all property in the area by 50%”
