"The Chosen One has got democratic credentials now."
"Not fair I tell you. Our Finance Ministers have not always had democratic credentials!
"Mian Sahib's man was a party member and so."
"I guess you are right but they remained Finance Ministers and were not elevated to become the Prime Minister. So let me ask two questions: what democratic credentials? And wasn't that a foregone conclusion?"
"Good questions."
"And?"
"And what?"
"What is your answer to my questions?"
"Just that! That they are good questions."
"Strange how these poor and illiterate people of Tharparkar and Attock had not only heard of Shaukat Aziz who, incidentally, had stopped campaigning quite a awhile ago and."
"Maybe they benefited from his economic policies."
"What are you saying? Now the people of Tharparkar and Attock have become macroeconomic analysts."
"Maybe the rate of inflation went down, no that's not right, that's only on paper, I know maybe they were promised something or they thought they could get some development after he was elected or."
"Or the head honcho there threatened them with dire consequences if they didn't elect him?"
"That was the next thing I was going to say."
"The majority of the people in these two towns have no access to the state propaganda machinery, I mean without radios and televisions and with a government in power for more than what? Four years? Five years? I mean all these years and these two towns are just as under developed as ever."
"Interestingly there are conflicting reports about the turnout?"
"As in all our elections."
"There are also allegations of rigging and abuse of party workers and."
"As in all our past elections."
"There are also charges of deserted polling stations and."
"Its over. The entire exercise is over. Now look for what will happen next."
"What do you reckon?"
"A new Cabinet with many old faces, the Jiyala turncoats and the Nawala turncoats will be there but there will be some who may owe special allegiance to the Chosen One's Selector."
"But then."
"But then what! Nothing will change. The man at the top remains. What will change is instead of seeing a man with a luxuriant moustache that one spent some time on speculating as to how he keeps it sooo luxurious or watching an ailing man talk of getting Pakistani dead bodies back home free of cost endlessly on our state run television we now have a man who is quite ordinary by comparison."