Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday lauded Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for what he described as a “warm welcome and positive gesture” during his visit to Punjab — a moment that has sparked renewed Punjab political goodwill between the two key allies after months of tension.

Bilawal responded to Maryam’s message on X, writing: “Thank you, Madam Chief Minister, for the warm welcome and positive gesture.”

Maryam had earlier posted: “I extend a warm welcome to @BBhuttoZardari on his visit to Punjab. Punjab is your home, and you will always find a place of respect here.” She added that he had her “heartfelt good wishes and prayers.”

Thank you, Madam Chief Minister, for the warm welcome and positive gesture. https://t.co/6tjs7rK935

— Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (@BBhuttoZardari) December 12, 2025

This cordial exchange follows a long spell of uncomfortable relations between the PPP and the PML-N, triggered by disagreements over flood relief assistance and the role of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

Back in October, Maryam asserted that her government had not sought external help for flood-affected citizens, stressing that Punjab would manage the crisis independently. Her remarks were viewed as a subtle jab at Bilawal, who had urged the federal government to seek international assistance, calling it a routine step in disasters of such magnitude.

Bilawal, in September, had criticised the “delay” in initiating the appeal process, saying it was “beyond comprehension” and reminding the government that similar appeals were made during the 2022 floods, the 2010 floods, and the 2005 earthquake.

The dispute escalated into a public war of words, prompting the ruling PML-N to dispatch a high-level team — Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Speaker Ayaz Sadiq — to meet President Asif Ali Zardari in Nawabshah in an effort to ease tensions.