"The Cabinet has thanked the Minister for Interior..."
"For what? For a job not well done?"
"Don't be facetious."
"But with the large number of attacks during the last two weeks this was perhaps not the right time to thank him."
"Hey, the Cabinet didn't thank him for doing anything to stop the attacks or indeed for his failure to apprehend the guilty but to ensure his survival by trying to deflect criticism."
"Not a good policy when public opinion is so against one member of the cabinet in a democracy."
"True, but maybe the cabinet was forced into this by the man on the hill who, we are told, continues to support Malik."
"Don't forget the man on the hill was recently forced to sack one of his trusted Zardis."
"Well, Malik had nothing to do with the Chief Justice..."
"Don't even go there."
"OK, but Khosa did accuse..."
"Khosa fudged a few facts. He claimed that he was involved in the restoration of the judiciary. Like the rest of the Zardis this support was extended only till the time prior to the formation of the PPP government in the centre."
"Well that's not such a big lie for a politician. I mean our politicians have lied a lot more blatantly than that."
"What do you mean?"
"Khosa's lie is time barred in the sense that it was not a lie during the pre-PPP government days."
"I see, but PPP support for the National Reconciliation Ordinance does not appear to be time barred."
"Two things about that my friend: First Benazir Bhutto had not submitted any documents invoking the NRO in a court of law..."
"She was assassinated only two months after the NRO was promulgated."
"I hear where you are going with this and after all, President Zardari invoked the NRO only after the party won the elections. And second by trying to lose the bill in a committee would just buy time as the Supreme Court may take up the matter again."
"Ah well - this government's constant motto is: postpone till tomorrow whatever you can."
"Good advice for a politician! But not for the country given the government's recent performance in providing security and dealing with the myriad economic issues facing the country."