"Literacy is going to be 85 percent by 2012."
"Who said that?"
"Why?"
"So I will know whether it is a serious goal or just rhetoric from yet another politician."
"President Musharraf said that."
"OK."
"So which one is it?"
"What?"
"Are you purposely being obtuse?"
"Yes."
"OK, next topic they imported 32 Mercedes and are at pains to tell the National Assembly that Rs 500 million was deposited as duty."
"I don't understand the significance of this statistic."
"To show that the 32 Mercedes under the exclusive use of the President and the Chosen One..."
"Why would these two need 32 Mercedes?"
"That I don't know but I do know that no federal minister is using these cars. Or so the National Assembly was told."
"Why would we, the tax payers, prefer just two people to use 32 high-end vehicles? Surely such wealth in cars must be shared with the 60 odd federal ministers?"
"I think the federal ministers are more than 60."
"I can't keep track."
"But you know the political credentials of most of the federal ministers are suspect to say the least."
"And what about the President and the PM?"
"Hey, you have a problem you write them an open letter. That's the trend these days."
"Letters are being ignored."
"Right but going back to your earlier question what is strange is that the cars were paid for by the government, which incidentally came from the taxes you and I paid, while the customs duty was also paid from our tax money. So it was really no big deal - one item was debited from our money, the money to purchase the cars, and another credited, the revenue from the payment of customs duties so what was the big deal? We still lost out on the purchase if you know what I mean."
"I see. So it's a win-win situation."
"From where I am sitting it seems more like the lose, lose situation."
"It all depends on which side of the table you are sitting."
"Indeed."