Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday thanked Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for what he called “a warm welcome and a positive gesture” after she publicly greeted him during her visit to Punjab.
Replying to a post from Maryam on X, Bilawal wrote, “Thank you Madam Chief Minister for your warm welcome and positive gesture. »
In her post, Maryam had said, “I welcome @BBhuttoZardari on his visit to Punjab. Punjab is your home and you will always find a place of respect here.”
“Thank you for your kind remarks. You have my sincere wishes and prayers,” she added.
In October, Maryam had asserted that her government had neither complained nor sought help from anyone to help flood-affected citizens, asserting that Punjab would handle the crisis with its own resources.
“I did not extend my hand in front of anyone. I protected the self-esteem of the people of Punjab,” she said, apparently referring to Bilawal’s appeal to the Center to seek international aid for the flood victims.
Earlier in September, the PPP leader criticized the “delay” in launching this process, calling it “incomprehensible” and stressing that such calls were standard practice for disasters of this magnitude internationally.
He pointed out that similar measures were taken during the last floods when he was foreign minister, as well as during the 2010 floods and the 2005 earthquake.
The two main allies then engaged in a bitter war of words which began over flood compensation through the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).
The verbal squabbles later subsided after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) assembled a delegation comprising Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who met President Asif Ali Zardari at Nawabshah.
