"I don't understand. Altaf Hussain is invited back home but BB and Mian Sahib aren't allowed to return."
"Well, BB is allowed to but she is not obliging them because she reckons she will be arrested on arrival and as they say it's not an easy life in jail. But Mian Sahib and family aren't even allowed to step on their homeland."
"If I remember correctly there were serious charges levelled against Altaf Hussain."
"I don't know about that but some of his activities were highly objectionable to our former governments. I mean had he done all that he is alleged to have done at the present moment in time he would have been branded a terrorist according to the new and improved definition of terrorism - first employed by the US and, courtesy the US, the rest of the world, including us."
"Well, our interim PM..."
"He doesn't like being referred to as that."
"Why?"
"Shows impermanence."
"But isn't that precisely what his position is?"
"Yeah, but he still doesn't have to like it. In any case Chaudhry Sahib has indicated that if Altaf Hussain returns it will be a gift to the nation."
"Has Musharraf seen the file on Altaf Hussain?"
"Probably. But don't forget he had also seen files on our other politicians that are now part of his team."
"They, as in the interim and the awaiting PMs, are talking of love and affection between themselves and the MQM."
"They should read newspaper reports of BB and Mian Sahib governments. They too had praises for the MQM till they formed an alliance with them and then later all hell broke loose."
"Yes I remember."
"But Chaudhry Sahib has gone even one step further than Jamali in praising Musharraf. He said that when ever he mentioned Musharraf in Sindh crowds were responding with standing ovation."
"Is it possible that the standing part is because there are no chairs provided in rallies?"
"Yes, and the ovation?"
"Chaudhry Sahib has health problems - maybe he mistook the ovation for something else - I mean may be all he heard was noise and noise can be interpreted any which way."
"Besides I can't imagine too many Sindhis attending a League rally until of course some money changed hands."
"What do you mean?"
"Sindh has never been their stronghold, right?"
"Oh yes, that's right."