ISLAMABAD - Imran Khan and his party members received an inglorious welcome Monday as they returned to the parliament, months after they had spurned it themselves.
Boisterous sloganeering and shouts of "Go Imran, Go" reverberated through the halls as Imran Khan settled into his chair. The joint session that is meant to evolve a consensus on the government's policy on turmoil in Yemen turned into a long tirade against Imran Khan as treasury members and lawmakers belonging to MQM took turns to take their swipes.
The charge was led by Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the minister of defence, who shamed PTI for returning to the same parliament that they had decried as having a fake mandate. As Khawaja Asif lashed out at the PTI lawmakers for being shameless and lacking ethics, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sat silently, perhaps enjoying the spectacle as Khan clearly felt the heat.
The joint session of the two houses was expected to come up with a consensus whether to join Saudi-led military coalition against rebels in Yemen or remain neutral. But the session instead of demonizing Houthi rebels in Yemen deprecated the return of PTI MNAs to parliament despite tendering resignations to Speaker Ayaz Sadiq some seven months ago.
Soon after the session started with the speaker requesting Minister of Defence Khwaja Asif to present policy statement over Yemen crisis and Pakistan's perspective about the issue, MQM lawmakers demanded explanation from the speaker to explain the rules that can allow a lawmaker to return to National Assembly after tendering resignation or remaining absent for consecutive 40 days.
For PTI lawmakers, it was an extraordinary day for making comeback to the house that they had boycotted for seven months on direction of their party chief. They were anxious for the day to have seat in the house once again after their four months long sit-in outside the parliament failed to oust Premier Sharif. Most of PTI lawmakers including their chairman Imran Khan were clad in shiny dresses with Shireen Mazari hugging her fellow party lawmaker Aysha Gulalai in a manner as if they had reunited after a long time. PTI MNA from Tank district Dawar Khan Kundi was so committed to attend the session that he used a wheelchair to ensure his presence with plaster still visible around his broken leg.
Lawmakers greeted Imran Khan with slogans beyond his imagination but he carefully listened to what was being said about him. The house that was supposed to debate a serious issue like turmoil in Yemen instead echoed with 'Go Imran Go' slogans.
Earlier, Opposition Leader in National Assembly Khurshid Shah had insisted that Premier Sharif should be physically present in the joint session keeping in view the importance and sensitivity of crisis in Yemen, triggering Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to adjourn the session for six hours until Premier Sharif shows up at the house.
Journalists covering the proceedings were of the view that Premier Sharif had been invited to the house for watching the embarrassing scenes of his arch rival Imran Khan who was sinking down in his chair and hiding his face as lawmakers made him a laughing stock.
And when Shah Mehmood Qureshi took the floor for giving his expert view on what should be Pakistan's role in wake of chaos in Yemen, JUI-F and women lawmakers of PML-N staged a walkout and by that time Imran Khan too had already left the house. With majority of lawmakers sounding negative about direct engagement of Pakistan in Yemen for crushing rebels, Premier Sharif wore a disappointed look as he was not getting the green signal from parliament what Saudi Arabia had wished for, but he perhaps was enjoying the tirade against his arch rival Imran Khan who a few months back launched civil disobedience movement against his regime.
As the debate on Yemen tilted to scathing criticism of PTI, Defence Minister Khwaja Asif added fuel to the fire by pointing finger at Imran Khan in presence of Premier Sharif for terming the parliament a 'fake one' outside the parliament during a brief pause in the proceedings.

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The only moment that proved to be a sigh of relief for embattled Imran Khan was nobody but Khurshid Shah who welcomed the PTI for making comeback to the parliament inviting Khan to hit the desk as sign of approval.
It was Imran Khan who had dubbed Shah as 'corrupt' and 'friendly leader of opposition' during his days in container. Khan smiled when Khurshid Shah said opposition leader whether friendly or unfriendly in both cases has power.
For a moment the house seemed to be more unanimous against the arrival of PTI lawmakers to National Assembly than approving the wish of Saudi authorities that want Pakistan to join the war against rebels in Yemen.
Instead, the house cautioned the government of stepping into internal affairs of Middle East, arguing tens of thousands of security forces were already engaged in fighting terrorism in Pakistan.