"The PML (Q) has been left with egg on their face."
"Really! How? They have 14 ministries, full and state, and that is 14 more than they had before."
"But they are not important ministries."
"Did you really think that the President would allow the new cabinet to sabotage his rule? The guy rules absolutely, you know that and I know that! The Prime Minister is a figurehead and in no way, represents an alternate seat of power! Why Shaukat Aziz had more control than Gilani does considering that Musharraf did not interfere in some ministries and..."
"But the President says he believes in consensus and reconciliation and..."
"He does, but his definition of consensus and reconciliation may not be the same as what the dictionary tells us."
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Consensus means everyone's agreement and for the President consensus means getting everyone on the table to rubberstamp what he has so directed."
"And reconciliation?"
"Reconciliation means forgetting past differences but for the President reconciliation is synonymous with consensus: ensure that everyone does what he or she is directed to."
"So decisions would remain centralised while the blame can be meted out to all who are materially benefiting from being a minister or a minister of state."
"Hey, by the way if you recall, the President and the Prime Minister publicly stated that they reduced the number of ministries in an effort to slash current expenditure so with the increase..."
"The PML (Q) will tell you it's in the national interest."
"As would the PPP, but really did you expect the President to actually give Water and Power to Faisal Saleh Hayat after all that he said about his chosen real estate agent turned ex-minister?"
"So the PML (Q) has dirtied themselves for the time being but they reckon the President would deliver on the senate seat adjustment and the adjustment during the next elections."
"Indeed...they have it in writing do they!"
"OK, I do recall what happened with another signed agreement but the fact is that PML (Q) has come out of the wilderness..."
"Only to go back into it though how long the process will take is not clear."
"No more than a year and as little as two months."