"Events in Pakistan remind me of the book the rise and fall of the Roman empire."
"That, unfortunately, is the way of the world. Shower accolades when one is in power and dump the guy when out of power."
"I don't think politics is about morality - it's about timing and the art of the possible."
"Well, I disagree - when Zardari sahib was in power analysts and members of the then opposition used to say that he holds a PhD in politics and now they are saying that he may not even win Sindh in the next elections if he doesn't heed good advice."
"That my friend proves what I consider should become the overarching mind-set of our so called dozen democrats - dozen because I define democrats as leaders of all political parties: politics focused on other political parties may win you a five year term with an honorary PhD degree conferred on you but lack of performance to the people who voted you to power leads to losing seats."
"Oh dear!"
"Indeed, so what has happened to Zardari sahib is likely to happen to Mian sahib in 2018. But when I talked of the rise and fall of the Roman empire, I was referring to the third major national party - the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)."
"Are you referring to the acceptance of PTI resignations in the Sindh Assembly a month before Senate elections? If so, what part of the PPP strategy to clinch the senate elections when it was in power in the centre made the PTI reckon that their resignations would not be accepted before the senate elections?"
"But four MPAs are hardly likely to win even one senate seat from Sindh."
"Right, but why give those seats to PTI right?"
"The federal government may not..."
"The federal government reckons it is strong and so its response to PTI's letter focused on the terms of reference for setting up a judicial commission has been nah nah nah phoo phoo..."
"What does Imran say?"
"He is out of the country performing umra."
"Why umra? Why doesn't he perform Hajj?"
"He recently got married and you have to grant him some latitude and..."
"I heard he opted for umra because that does not require shaving one's head and..."
"Hmmm, I can smell you winning government contracts and..."
"Can't you just accept that I was being facetious?"
"Not in the Land of the Pure."