"The US says the Iranian elections are rigged."
"Well they are in the sense that the hard-liners refused hundreds of reformists the right to stand for elections and.."
"But then the Americans gave the hard-liners an ace in the pack."
"Ace in the pack - I thought that was Saddam and now firmly in American hands."
"Don't be facetious. Anyway the hard-liners campaigned that not voting or voting for the reformists would be a vote in favour of the US.... and I believe they won on that count alone."
"Yes, the Americans are hated in an ever increasing number of countries...I do hope Bush loses just so that we can learn to love things American again."
"Bush has his campaign under way....did you hear the story of the picture?"
"What picture?"
"The picture of John Kerry, the Democratic Presidential hopeful, and Jane Fonda."
"No I didn't."
"Apparently our friends the neo-conservatives, or shall we say a Conservative website, displayed a photograph of the two and the photographer has now come forward and said that it's a forgery."
"Ah yes. The election year is at hand.... and with the latest technology in film.."
"I wonder if we can get a picture of Mian Sahib and some other woman."
"There are those who may think you don't need a forgery there."
"Or Musharraf with I don't know, let's see a pretty film star.
"Don't be facetious. He may not be a religious man, or then again he maybe one. I mean just 'cause you are opposed to extremism doesn't mean that you are not religious right?"
"Right. I mean I am opposed to extremism a la Maulana style and let's be honest even our Brown Sahib appears to be dabbling in some form of liaison with the Maulanas and I think he does need to reassess his priorities.."
"Why are you so concerned about our Brown Sahib? I mean it's not as if he is suffering any hardships or anything like that.... True, people don't vote for him but hey this is life. You win hearts in cricket and you lose them in politics."
"I guess. But he said in an interview to an Indian TV channel a while ago that he has a ten year success rate - apparently takes him ten years to be successful and..."
"Cricket is not politics. You have to learn to be a Lota before you can become a leader. I mean look at Mian Sahib - he was the biggest Lota Ziaul Haq had seen this side of the Ravi.."
"What about BB?"
"BB was born into the family. I mean if and when Nawaz's son comes into politics he may have it easy too - if he stays off the table load of food that the Saudi's are heaping on the Sharif family, that is."
"Ah to avoid the food he will have to stay away from his family."
"I believe he is doing just that. And as you know in our politics you don't need training just family or institutions."