"I now know the difference between a prime minister and a minister."
"It's so obvious: a prime minister is the chief executive while a minister is only responsible for his ministry and I would imagine a prime minister can overrule a minister even in matters relating to his ministry."
"I thought a cabinet is collectively responsible for all decisions, isn't that the plea taken by the government with respect to the NRO implementation case."
"Yes, and that too is correct but the prime minister, according to the rules of business, has the authority to take decisions independently."
"And the cabinet has to rise and fall with him?"
"Well, it rose with Gilani before his dismissal but didn't fall with him when he was disqualified."
"Maybe that's the nature of a coalition cabinet?"
"Don't be facetious anyway that was not what I was referring to when I said I know the difference between a minister and a prime minister."
"Let me guess: it's the removal of the former prime minister's picture from all banners, and trust me there are hundreds of thousands of banners throughout this country, and the picture of the new prime minister is inserted."
"That's true, who said the people bow to the seat and not the man!"
"The seat is not in the prime minister's house but in the presidency."
"Indeed, but then a prime minister is clearly number two, see a minister can be anywhere from 3 to 70 depending on the mood of numero uno."
"There aren't that many ministers are there, besides I don't think coalition partners' ministers' are in the running."
"True, but that wasn't what I was referring to when I said that there are differences between the prime minister and a minister. You want to take another guess?"
"A minister doesn't have such easy access to the presidency?"
"That's not true either...the president is loyal to his friends and it won't matter if you are a minister or not if he considers you a friend you are always welcome in the presidency. Anyway I think the major difference between a prime minister and a minister is that while the latter can promise to deal with a situation within a specified time period and be held accountable by the public the prime minister can merely direct the relevant minister to do the needful and then blame him for non-action."
"Ah, the famous words of former Minister for Water and Power come to haunt the current Prime Minister!"
"Indeed."