PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday responded to a challenge by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi during a noisy session of the National Assembly.
After severely criticising the government over the provisions of budget 2021-22 and condemning the legislative process conducted on Tuesday, the PPP chairperson left the House after his speech.
"He spoke a lot about [parliamentariy] procedures; I would also like to speak on procedures a bit," said a passionate FM Qureshi after Bilawal and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had spoken.
"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.
The Opposition benches in the National Assembly broke into huge applause when the PPP chairperson, with another lawmaker by his side, returned to his seat.
The foreign minister spoke briefly but after immense criticism from the Opposition benches, asked the speaker to let a JUI-F MNA speak instead, and sat down.
Tempers flare as Bhutto urges PM Khan to tape FM Qureshi's phone
Later, a war of words erupted between the two leaders when Bhutto took a dig at the foreign minister.
"I would like to request the prime minister to order the ISI to tape Shah Mahmood Qureshi's phone," taunted Bhutto. "When he used to be our foreign minister, he ran a campaign around the world to make him the prime minister, instead of Yousaf Raza Gillani," he added.
"That is why we sacked him from the post of foreign minister," added the PPP leader.
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 chairperson by referring to him as a "kid".
"I know you since you were a kid and I also knew your parents as well," he added.
'PM won't be able to speak here if leader of the Opposition isn't allowed to'
Speaking after Bhutto concluded his speech, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said he supported everything said by the PPP chairperson.
