Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi engaged in a heated debate ahead of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s speech in the National Assembly (NA) today.
Bilawal said that according to parliamentary rules, when a voice vote is challenged, another voice vote is conducted. “If that is also challenged, then it is your duty to count the votes,” Bilawal said, addressing Speaker NA Asad Qaiser.
In his speech, Bilawal said that if the government hadn’t “rigged” yesterday’s vote on the federal budget, the whole world would have seen that the prime minister did not have 172 votes. After criticising the government over the provisions of Budget 2021-22 and condemning the legislative process conducted on Tuesday, the PPP chairman left the House after his speech.
“He spoke a lot about [parliamentariy] procedures; I would also like to speak on procedures a bit,” said FM Qureshi after Bilawal’s speech.
The foreign minister lashed out at the PPP chairman for levelling allegations of violating parliamentary tradition.
“Where did he go after making his speech? I want him to return,” he added.
“I would like to ask Bilawal Bhutto to return to his seat; come back to the field and listen to us now,” the foreign minister stated.
Bilawal Bhutto returned to his seat amid huge applause from the Opposition benches.
A war of words then ensued between the two.
“What are you talking about? In Sindh, where you have the government, you did not allow the Opposition leader to speak,” said Shah Mahmood.
He said that the charter of diplomacy states that the chairmanship of the provincial Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is given to the Opposition. “Have you done that? Have you given the Opposition representation in the provincial standing committees? What parliamentary tradition are you talking about?” questioned Mahmood. In comparison, the Opposition is being given more time in the National Assembly, he said. Qureshi also questioned the absence of Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif during yesterday’s session.
“The leader of the Opposition wasn’t present during the debate on the finance bill while 25 Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members were missing.” Qureshi added that the Opposition would not be able to suppress the government by making noise, holding the former responsible for spoiling the atmosphere of the lower house.
“Listen to me today with open ears, if Imran Khan will not speak, then neither Bilawal nor Shehbaz shall speak,” said Mahmood.
In response to the foreign minister, Bilawal said that he would like equal time to respond to all the times Mahmood mentioned his name in his speech. “If you don’t allow me to complete my speech, otherwise I will see how Imran Khan speaks in the Assembly [today].”
“We know Mahmood the most among all, PM Khan will come to know who he [Mahmood] is,” said Bilawal.
Bilawal said that Qureshi was criticising the very partythat had made him the foreign minister and the president of the party’s Punjab chapter.
“Mr Speaker, I would ask you to tell PM Khan to recognise him [Mahmood]. I have been seeing him my childhood. I have heard him say Jiye Bhutto and Agli bari, phir Zardari to protect his ministry,” he said. Bilawal also questioned his role as foreign minister, holding him responsible for being involved in making deals on Kashmir.
“When the United States is withdrawing from Afghanistan, he should be focusing on arranging a phone call with President Joe Biden due to Pakistan’s strategic importance. It is a matter of shame that our premier doesn’t even have the importance to get a phone call,” he said.
Bilawal said, “Mahmood talked about Sindh, What happens in Sindh Assembly is suppose to be discussed in Sindh Assembly.” He further added that the Sindh Assembly Speaker had banned Opposition lawmakers for creating a ruckus. “The Pakistan Resolution was passed from the Sindh Assembly,” he said, adding that the Opposition had not presented a single cut motion during provincial budget proceedings. “This shows you their seriousness.”
“I would like to request the prime minister to order the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to tape Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s phone. When Shah Mahmood was our foreign minister, he used to campaign around the world that the party should make him the prime minister in place of Yousaf Raza Gillani. That is why we sacked him from the post of foreign minister,” said Bilawal.
The foreign minister responded to the PPP leader’s accusations, telling him that he also knew Bhutto “since he was a little kid”.
He hit back at the PPP chairman by referring to him as a “bacha” (child).
“I know you since you were a kid and I also know your father as well,” Qureshi added.
