"So what is with this letter writing?"
"Its an old form of communication reminiscent of the pre-1990s era when e-mail was still not in general use, at least not in Pakistan." "So anyone writing a letter is not computer literate you reckon?"
"Well yes I would say so but if you are referring to the exchange of letters between the opposition and the government then the rationale may well be the need to have a hard copy as a requirement. I mean it couldn't be that the President could find no one who was computer literate amongst his numerous hangers on and the same goes for the Leader of the Opposition." "Right but I hope they realise that e-mails can be printed and that's the hard copy. And e-mail exchange is admissible in a court of law."
"OK but a written letter may be considered an official requirement; besides it allows the letter writer to send it to the media and...." "The media in this country is computer literate and would prefer a letter as soft copy."
"Right but the fact that the President sent a letter to the Leader of the Opposition requesting that he overcome his earlier reservations over Deedar Hussain Shah's appointment which led to the filing of a case in the Supreme Court, ignore the subsequent Supreme Court verdict which ruled that Mr Deedar Shah's appointment did not follow procedure and without even waiting for the detailed judgement..."
"You have so much to learn. Don't apply logic to our politicians."
"I see, so the President is requesting Chaudhary Nisar Ali to revisit his major and, if his statements are anything to go by, sustained reservations over the appointment?"
"That is precisely what he is doing. The President is following procedure this time around. Previously he had not directly communicated with the Leader of the Opposition on this issue and had conferred this 'unpleasant' task to the Prime Minister in the PM's words incidentally so now he is following procedure." "I see where you are going with this! So is the view of the Leader of the Opposition binding on the President or is it just a formality?"
"That my friend is the critical question. I reckon the President's chief lawyer, Babar Awan, would argue that it is non-binding while the opposition would insist it is binding."
"So a major controversy is brewing." "Again!"