"So the reward for Baitullah Mehsud, dead or alive, is 5 crore rupees."
"That's what the man said."
"Who?"
"Rehman Malik."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did he announce the reward and how did he settle on this amount?"
"I guess he reckons as the Interior Minister he has the right, and..."
"But the operation Rah-e-Rasst is being undertaken by the armed forces. Civilian forces have not yet kicked in if you know what I mean."
"Other than to have joint press conferences but the opposite member of the ISPR man is Kaira not Malik."
"Well you know Malik likes to talk to the Press and besides if the media ask him questions he normally responds to the best of his knowledge."
"Or the best of his mandate."
"Don't be facetious."
"Anyway why did he settle on 5 crore given that the US has a price on Mehsud's head as well. Isn't it duplication of effort?"
"Duplication of effort or multiplication of wealth?"
"Now stop that! It's not as if Malik can claim that he was responsible for killing or arresting Mehsud?"
"That's true. Maybe the amount was determined by Malik looking at the budget allocations as comparison for example the youth affairs were allocated 48 million in budget 2009-10, economic affairs division 16 million, National Reconstruction Bureau 50 million..."
"Ah and does Shaukat Tarin know another 50 million will evaporate within the system?"
"I don't know but I do know the Taliban have put a price of 10 crore on Malik."
"Not going to happen. They would have to first catch him in Islamabad and since he is hardly ever..."
"Don't be facetious."