"Six top civil service promotions this week past are being defined as chosen instead of selected."
"And the difference is?"
"Selection is through due process. If you are selected and a politician, then the electoral system has elected you and if you are a bureaucrat a panel has decided your future. And chosen is the whim of one or more but through a process that circumvents the selection process. "
"We have a Prime Minister who is chosen."
"OK, but surely as a start towards governance reforms we can select our senior bureaucrats instead of choosing them."
"If there is an element of performance based selection..."
"That's true but if someone has been bypassed then his or her case must be heard and if a person is better than his superiors - two or even three tiers up, then too he or she must be chosen, don't you think?"
"It's a tough call. But you know there must be some political appointments and others must be through due process. So my contention is that while the new politicians in charge may actually feel they need to select bureaucrats they want to work with that is OK, but at the same time others must be selected after due process."
"I agree. We must put a system in place and then and only then can we ensure that it would take root."
"Right, I know Big M and the Chosen One say they have established the system but I would urge both to leave their positions just to see how well it survives. The proof of the pudding is to see the system survive their departure."
"None of our leaders have been committed enough to their own systems to allow for that! This is possible only in the old and tried democratic system."
"So you reckon once Big M and Chosen One leave the scene..."
"The Chosen One would have to take the next flight out of the country when Big M goes."
"Right, so when Big M leaves it will all come tumbling down, like a deck of cards."
"Always does, doesn't it? It happened to Ayub, to Yahya, to Zia and I don't see anything different with Big M."
"Now, if Big M wants to be remembered then he must leave and see how well his system survives."
"If wishes were horses..."