"So they all supported Dr Sheikh of the Finance Ministry over and above the Interior Minister?"
"Indeed...Kaira said Rehman Malik's request to bilaterals and multilaterals to write off 50 billion dollars worth of external loans was his personal opinion."
"I don't understand...what's the harm in Malik's call?"
"What do you mean?"
"I would support Malik's call to our external creditors."
"I guess Dr Sheikh successfully argued to his cabinet colleagues that if the loans are written off then..."
"I think even in his wildest dreams Sheikh can't possibly think that Malik's call would be heeded by anyone out there."
"Right but..."
"There is no but...as we say in Urdu what's the harm in saying something like that?"
"Maybe Sheikh wants cash from external sources and he may have thought calls for a write off may freak out the creditors and..."
"The creditors were already freaked out and this was evident in the Pakistan Development Forum."
"Right, they called for taxing the elite and let's be honest that is not part of Sheikh's bill submitted to parliament."
"Right, the rich landlords' income will not to be taxed, so that leaves Prime Minister Gilani and Khar out, and those who earn abroad and bank abroad, people like Dr Sheikh as well as Rehman Malik, would remain tax exempt in Pakistan though no doubt they are paying taxes abroad."
"Right, so my question strands. Why would Sheikh and Kaira come out and insist that Malik's view was personal? I mean it's not as if our foreign creditors are likely to give us any more than what they have already pledged."
"Maybe the fear is they may stop giving what they pledged?"
"Hey if the loans are written off we wouldn't need the money, would we?"
"True, but the fear is the loans would not be written off and the pledged amount would not be disbursed."
"Ah yes that would force the government to look inward for cash?"
"Before you get excited let me tell you they are not going to begin to tax themselves...it's you and me who will have to pay higher taxes."