[Nate the Great]

DUKAT [on monitor]: We've discovered the boy's actually the son of one of our most prominent politicians, Kotan Pa'Dar.
SISKO: When was Pa'Dar on Bajor?
DUKAT [on monitor]: Over eight years ago. He was Exarch for a Cardassian settlement there.

An "Exarch" in the Roman Empire was the governor of a territory. These days it's used as a religious rank in the Eastern Christian churches. I'm not sure it's an appropriate use here. Frankly I want Roman Empire terms to be limited to Romulans only, that was kinda their shtick.

DUKAT [on monitor]: He's already on his way to the station to reclaim him.
SISKO: It's not that simple.
DUKAT [on monitor]: I don't understand.
SISKO: The boy wants to go back to Bajor.

Oh boy, is this a minefield. The desires of two governments (multiple factions in each), a military, the parents, and Rugal himself. At this point this is far above the purview of Dukat or Sisko, but that wouldn't make a good episode, would it?

GARAK: I'm sorry you're upset about the orphans. Children without parents have no status in Cardassian society. The situation is most unfortunate, but I don't make the rules.

Given Gul Madred's pontificating in "Chain of Command", this seems odd to me. I would expect the Romulans or Klingons to be more callous regarding orphans than Cardassians. Surely it would be easier to indoctrinate an orphan than your own child.

BASHIR: Rugal's father? You're saying Kotan Pa'Dar was involved in the decision to evacuate Bajor?
GARAK: Very good, Doctor. I'm glad to see our little get-togethers haven't gone for naught.
BASHIR: Which makes him a political enemy of Gul Dukat's. Who lost his job as Prefect when they withdrew.

Fair enough, but...

GARAK: And seemingly out of nowhere, Dukat takes an interest in this orphan boy who recently arrives on our station. And then soon afterwards, with Gul Dukat's assistance, we discover that the orphan boy isn't really an orphan boy, but Pa'Dar's long lost son.
BASHIR: Another coincidence?
GARAK: I believe in coincidences. Coincidences happen every day. But I don't trust coincidences.

Garak's line has stuck we me through the years. Is Garak really saying that Dukat manipulated Rugal's family onto the station to arrange a confrontation? And placed a spy on the station to obtain Garak's schedule to manipulate Rugal's family to board at the same time?

Yikes, talk about contrivances. This also requires that Dukat ward off all attempts to pin down Garak's precise legal status with the Bajorans for over a year, don't forget.

PA'DAR: Now that I'm back in his life.
O'BRIEN: He may not want you back in his life.
PA'DAR: I am his father.

Another place where having Cardassians in this role doesn't work. If any race can understand shades of grey, it's the Cardassians. Pa'dar is talking more like a Romulan here.

PA'DAR: On Cardassia, family is everything. We care for our parents and children with equal devotion. In some households, four generations eat at the same table. Family is everything. And I have failed in my responsibilities to my family.

And you abandoned your son...because? Like I said, first season plot. If this was a few months after the Cardassians left and Pa'dar worked through official channels, this would make much more sense.

And can't the transporters be programmed to look for someone with specific DNA and then beam them up? Even if Cardassian transporters aren't that good, they could ask Starfleet to do so. I don't think Picard would mind a sensor sweep of the planet back in "Emissary" to make sure that all Cardassians had left the planet.

PA'DAR: I have no intention of allowing a Bajoran court to rule on the custody of my son.

Yeah, this seems like the job of the nearest Starfleet court. Where is Louvois stationed right now, anyway?

PA'DAR: He is my natural born child. As Cardassian law clearly stipulates--
PROKA: There is no more Cardassian law on Bajor.

Proka has a point.

SISKO: Gentlemen, I think you may need an arbitrator to settle this.
PROKA: It must be someone who is neither a Cardassian nor a Bajoran.

I would certainly want a Vulcan as judge in this case.

DUKAT: Pa'Dar is an eminent member of the civilian assembly. This matter has generated a great deal of interest at the highest levels of our government.
SISKO: So, you're here representing your government?
DUKAT: Not exactly. I like to think that I'm here representing the children. All of the children abandoned on Bajor.

"Oh, well, in that case do you want me to bring some babies here for you to kiss in front of the cameras? Maybe some campaign posters that you want to put up?"

I sometimes wonder why Dukat is in the military at all when his talents clearly lie in politics. He should've matched wits with Kai Winn much earlier.