"So what's the latest?"
"No one is in town but us chickens."
"Don't be facetious - Dar is an accountant by training and he says he is an auditor by experience so see, not a history major and hence he was unaware of the French Queen Marie Antoinette's exhortation to the people to eat cakes if they had no bread - cake being more expensive and..."
"Yes I know, but she was beheaded by the people wasn't she!"
"Not because of this insensitive statement, more because of the long line of kings who favoured the rich landlords over all other income groups - in terms of appointments in the government and the church and..."
"Ah I get it - isn't that how Dar defines his trickle-down theory, which is obsolete and..."
"Hey, leave Dar alone - the guy is not an economist by education and Mian sahib must be blamed for deciding to appoint him as the finance minister. Besides Dar said eat chicken as it is cheaper than dal..."
"Is that what he offered PML-N MNAs for iftar - you know the MNAs who had expressed anger at his arrogance ..."
"Don't know - no one went."
"Oh, but going back to no one being in town but us chickens I wanted to make an amendment?"
"Hey, go ahead...it's not as if you need a majority to make an amendment to your statement."
"Well, one chicken was out of town."
"I don't get it."
"Mian sahib is out of the country, former President Zardari and several of his band of merry men are out of the country, Altaf Hussain is out of the country - no chickens by any standards."
"So which is the chicken that is out?"
"Parveen Rashid..."
"Parvez Rashid, silly."
"I must get my keyboard checked it keeps mixing up n and z. Anyway why was he called to London I ask you unless.....unless Maryam is out of favour cause as we all know she heads the Prime Minister's media cell and her selections have been flawed to say the least..."
"Parvez Rashid is not her selection but I see what you mean, though Maryam can never be out of favour irrespective of her performance. But you are right I can't imagine why the Prime Minister needed to talk to Parvez Rashid."
"Maybe to discuss your keyboard..."
"Don't be facetious."