"So it was really much ado about nothing."
"What are you referring to?"
"The National Security Council, I mean the Opposition, or shall we say all non-Lota politicians, resisted its establishment because it was anti-democratic in its very concept, a point of view that incidentally I agreed with but now I feel let it be established if that is what will make Musharraf happy."
"Why the change of heart?"
"It seems to me that the NSC functions as a Cabinet meeting, you know all Lotas with no dissenters except the chair is the one with the real power so I believe this is a more effective forum than a Cabinet meeting. I mean when the Chosen One chairs a meeting all he is allowed to say is that the economy has made the turnaround, thank you very much and for all other matters go to the COAS House."
"But the NSC is not functioning well because the Maulanas don't attend it. I mean you do need some dissenters."
"I wonder how Musharraf would react to dissenters. He hasn't taken well to dissent overall. Isn't that what the HR report on Pakistan said?"
"Yes but I doubt if the NSC would have discussed other subjects if the Maulanas were present."
"I disagree."
"They discussed hate literature and terrorism, these are very serious issues facing the country today."
"Yes, I agree but then again I thought NSC should discuss Balochistan and Sindh and..."
"Not for public consumption, against national interest."
"So what's the point of an NSC?"
"Well, to show to the world that the opposition and the Lotas are one but that is simply not true."
"Perhaps we should abandon the NSC, it's like a farce."
"That would be admitting defeat and our President doesn't like admitting mistakes."
"Oh well, so in the meanwhile we have a bunch of Lotas parroting off what Musharraf wants them to say, no arguments, no discussions on weighty political issues, ad nauseum."
"That is our new and improved democracy after all."