"I saw the last of the debates between the two US presidential hopefuls."
"So did I. Didn't hear any mention of Pakistan this time around, though."
"The focus was the economy."
"Do you recall a Pakistan presidential hopeful who wanted a debate?"
"Yes, Mushahid of the balancing act..."
"What is with you and Mushahid?"
"I just find it very strange that a man who has spent his entire life being a Lota..."
"That's not fair. He only began being a Lota once he came into politics."
"OK so without any prospect of becoming a leader the choice for him was simple: be a Lota or go bust."
"Precisely and he decided to become a Lota instead of bust."
"And then he was put in jail and he decided to change his Lota status from one master to the other."
"From one in exile and without power, to one in power, who, incidentally, had placed him in jail! Got to give him credit for astuteness."
"That's not astuteness, that is the first lesson that any Lota learns."
"Yes I guess, and he did serve his new master with a dedication and single-mindedness that has gone beyond that man's dismissal."
"Correct but that's only because no one in power today wants him. But why did Mushahid think that Zardari would ever agree to debate him? First there is no precedence for that here, second there was no way Mushahid would win the elections, and third why didn't he offer to debate the PML (N) candidate first prior to taking on the top contender for the job?"
"Who knows what's going through Mushahid's mind."
"He has been awfully quiet in recent days."
"I don't think he is hatching any conspiracies. There is no one in power who wants his services, as I said."
"That may change."
"And then Mushahid will reinvent himself."
"But not as a presidential hopeful?"
"No not that, Zardari has set a new standard for party leaders: becoming a president."
"One that even his political savvy wife hadn't thought of!"
"Indeed, sometimes as they say it's better to think out of the box and I am pretty sure Mian Sahib has begun to think out of the box too."
"So no need to declare assets, no need to get courts to allow you to stand, no need to have a BA degree..."
"Indeed."