"If your protagonist knows your strategy then it's hardly likely to be successful."
"I don't understand? What protagonist?"
"Let me ask you a few questions first. What is the strategy that Main sahib employs when dealing with his political adversaries?"
"Well, he establishes a team with a one point agenda: trash the opposition leadership and in the event that his party is in power the Press Information Department and the Information Ministry are dedicated to this one point agenda so he doesn't need to use his own funds for the purpose and..."
"That's a given in our country - the centre, and all provincial governments use the taxpayers money to fund advertisements which display the photographs of the party leadership just so the people are not in two minds as to who is responsible for whatever claim or project they are advertising and need I add this practice needs stop and..."
"OK I get it, so what is the second question."
"Before I ask the second question need I add that his chosen heir, though not yet established as the undisputed heir, the First Daughter has her own team who attack the opposition. And then there is another set of attackers who are focused on a protagonist of more concern to Mian sahib namely the armed forces and this time around this team comprises of his coalition partners and a handful of members of opposition parties..."
"I hope Mian sahib can foot the bill that this entails."
"No problem, it's all from the public exchequer..."
"Hush, I hear they are strengthening the defamation laws..."
"There is nothing wrong with most of our laws, it's the implementation that is the issue - be it National Action Plan, be it the industrial policy, be it the..."
"Right and so Mian sahib has adopted yet another strategy when the armed forces expressed their concern with respect to this second group's recent statements - Mian sahib praised the agencies that these guys trashed though not quite these guys and Chaudhary Nisar trashed those who trashed the law enforcement forces..."
"Ah yes I see - the two pronged strategy required by our civilian governments is ongoing..."
"Let's see whether it eases tensions or further fuels conflict..."
"Conflict was the mother of dictatorships in the past."
"Indeed and once you invoke mother there is nothing else I can say."
"OK, how about conflict is the grandmother of dictatorships in the past."
"Don't be facetious."