"So is Attock the safest lota seat?"
"I would imagine so. Why else would they propose the Chosen One's name from there?"
"Ah, that is telling."
"Not another one of your conspiracy theories."
"I am afraid so."
"And you think he will be made to win or made to lose?"
"That is even more telling! Made to win or lose you ask? In other words you are sure that the Chosen One has still not got a support base."
"Indeed he has not. He is there because of one man and one man alone. And that man is not quite sure how he wants to go about drafting the political map of Pakistan for the next five years."
"One option is to let the status quo remain and force - no, that's a wrong word in a democracy - manipulate the present assembly to reelect him."
"Option number two is to allow the new assemblies to elect the president."
"Right and option number three is to let market forces take hold and..."
"Market forces? You mean the politics of money?"
"Yes so with market and democratic forces allowed free rein if the lotas don't win then he can dissolve assemblies before they have had a chance to reelect a new man as president..."
"A constitutional provision allowed to a president, which was the brain child of Zia."
"OK so President Musharraf is not the one who first thought of this amendment. Any way, once the lotas lose he can impose martial law in the supreme national interest."
"And what's the fourth option?"
"There is no fourth option."
"He could take off his uniform..."
"That is not an option for him. The moment he takes off his uniform he is a lame duck president. The Chaudhry Cousins may well be the first to abandon him."
"Wouldn't he be the same man?"
"Afraid not! An army COAS can promise and deliver, a retired COAS is just that: retired."