playing at house

[Romel Panzer]

"Comtemporary events have been so interesting that we have had little time to look back at the past, what with clerics playing at house in Islamabad's Lasl Masjid, and the government appealing daily with recalcitrant lawyers and journalists over the suspension of Chief Justice of the Supreme court". What does "playing at house" mean in the above paragraph taken out from a newspaper report.

[Anglika]

Without much more context it is difficult to say. It sounds like a local problem. This is only one sentence from the report - maybe more context will make things clearer.

[Mordant]

This may be an incorrect use of the phrase 'playing house'

'Playing House' is a reference to keeping your house in order, dealing with local issues, looking after the small things in your life, being domesticated.

The reference in the text could be an indication that the clerics were avoiding the big issues while they 'play house', or deal with local matters close to home. Possibly a reference to them not wanting to get involved.