"I read several stories, seemingly unrelated, but kind of related."
"About the Balochistan situation?"
"Yes. First we have the news of yet another bomb exploding, this time on a high voltage power line and rail track."
"I thought we had armed forces stationed there and..."
"Well, let's be honest - armed forces come in handy when there is a war - with an external power, not while dealing with an internal insurrection. I mean if we have learned something from the American invasion of Iraq it's precisely that."
"But you cannot expect our police to sort out the mess!"
"You have to empower the police and that brings me to the second story which was a statement by Nawab Bugti saying there will be no peace in Balochistan as long as Dr Shazia's rapists are free. I find it actually quite pathetic that neither the President nor the Lotas have mentioned the rape, which may have triggered off the Baloch anger. May be our most enlightened Lota, or so he would have us believe, and I am referring to Mushahid Hussain here, should say something on that matter."
"That is sad, that! I mean we have rapists, whose identity is known, and nothing gets done."
"This is the land of the new and improved democracy, if you catch my drift."
"To me it sounds like the old democracy that we had, where those with contacts got away with the most heinous of all crimes with ease. Anyway the third story was Musharraf's statement that Balochistan development projects would continue. Now this is not a magnanimous statement as probably our President intended and certainly not what the Baloch wanted to hear. It's Balochistan's right, as a member of the federation, to these funds, however the President was quiet on all contentious issues, including the proposed 400 acre cantonment area, no mention of the rapists of the doctor at PPL, no mention of what Balochistan would gain from Gwadar, no mention of..."
"OK, OK, I get the picture."
"And then we have the sweetest statement by the Chosen One who seems to be blithely unaware of the blowing of gas pipelines in Balochistan."
"See this is the problem with decadent western civilisations - one tends to forget when one is there. But what did he say?"
"He said that the gas pipeline will promote peace in the region..."
"He was referring to the Iran to India via Pakistan gas pipeline."
"Yeah! But you do understand that gas pipelines are not promoting peace internally."
"Well yes, but what I found extremely sweet was the exclusive, and I must emphasise the word exclusive, PTV coverage of all of the Chosen One's meetings at Davos."
"You reckon no one else is interested in him?"
"Don't say that! It's against national interest."
"You will cost him his job. Only powers that be are entitled to that comment."