"Despite protestations to the contrary we don't seem to be getting any money from our friends."
"You got some from ADB and some from World Bank, I think a total of around 2 billion dollars but that is simply not enough."
"They are not our friends - isn't that what our President said in the US?"
"Yes, he did and I agree with him - the management of these multilaterals give the bulk of the money at market rates so that they can continue to travel abroad on business class, stay in five star hotels and get to meet our president and prime minister..."
"When you are desperate for money you have few options."
"There are other countries equally desperate for money but they don't allow their president or prime minister to meet with heads of departments of multilaterals. It would be different if it was the President of ADB..."
"Maybe President Zardari and Gilani will look at other countries in this regard."
"I hope President Zardari does look at other countries."
"What about the Prime Minister?"
"He is only looking at President Zardari."
"Right but don't forget past precedence. The office will speak its own mind in the end."
"Tarrar never did."
"Tarrar was a political nobody the same can't be said for Gilani."
"Well, anyway no one seems to be giving us money."
"Correct, the oil facility agreement with Saudi Arabia is still not signed and then there is the bilateral assistance from the Western countries which is now in jeopardy because of the global financial crisis and then..."
"Life is not easy even when you reside in Constitution Avenue."
"No, but the power or its trappings are sweet indeed."
"Power is also elusive and the present powerful must look at what happened to Musharraf."
"Indeed but when one is in power one doesn't think of the recently fallen."
"But they too fell in the past..."
"Our politicians are perennial optimists when they are in power."