The war of words between PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi shifted to social media as the two continued to take shots at each other on Twitter.
Bhutto and FM Qureshi took shots at each other yesterday during a National Assembly session. At one point, the PPP chairperson returned to his seat after the foreign minister challenged him to sit and listen to others after he had spoken.
FM Qureshi gave a heated response to the PPP chairperson when the latter suggested PM Imran Khan should have the foreign minister’s phone tapped.
Qureshi took to Twitter Wednesday to criticise Bhutto for his remark despite being a “preacher of democratic norms and traditions”.
“Let Pakistan remember that today, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of National Assembly Human Rights Committee and preacher of democratic norms and traditions, openly called for phone tapping of an elected parliamentarian,” tweeted the foreign minister.
“So much for fundamental rights, rule of law & democracy!” he added.
Not to be outdone, the PPP leader clarified he was only joking and in doing so, fired a shot at the foreign minister as well.
“Let the record be clear that the Foreign Minister of Pakistan does not have a sense of humour,” he concluded.
However, here is how Pakistani Twitter reacted to the two leaders’ spat during the NA session:
Faiza Sajjad was disappointed she didn’t get to see the foreign minister “destroy” Bhutto.
Imran Ahmed also sided with the foreign minister, saying that the PPP leader had been “shown a mirror” by a former member of his party.
Salma Jafar sided with the PPP chairperson, saying that Qureshi had been unable to grasp Bhutto’s joke due to the “generational gap” between them.
Bilal Ghani, disappointed with the debate, urged the two to focus on more important issues.
A Twitter user @SirJonRoe was quite delighted at the exchange, saying this was the “homeopathic political content” he needed on Twitter.
Bilawal censures budget 2021, government’s legislative process
During his speech in the Parliament Wednesday, the PPP chairperson had lashed out at the government’s legislative process, accusing it of “rigging”.
“We think that this budget session has become a source of embarrassment for every Pakistani,” he had said. “Mr Speaker, I complain to you that you have snatched our rights from us,” added Bhutto.
Bhutto had told NA Speaker Asad Qaiser that the Opposition lawmakers expected him to keep the “sanctity of the chair” and act neutrally.
He had said if “rigging” had not been carried out yesterday when the finance bill was being approved, the government would not have been able to obtain 172 votes.
Bhutto had said the Opposition members had more rights than merely reading out their amendments to the bill.
“We have the right to be heard also,” he had said. “If our right to vote is not protected then what will become of the protection of the right of ordinary Pakistanis?” he had asked.