Last Tuesday, a joint session of both houses of the Parliament began discussing the prevailing political situation in the country. It has been interesting to watch the friends of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif defend him in the name of democracy against his foes that are camping outside the parliament and demanding his resignation in the name of justice and revolution.

For three weeks, both sides have stuck to their guns in the stand-off. However, many noticed a happy development in the thick of the tiring political battle – the regular presence of Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif in the Parliament.

Before the raging crisis burst, he was rarely seen in the National Assembly - and only once in the Senate.

Throughout his first year in the office, PM Sharif faced the criticism from the opposition benches that he looked more interested in foreign trips than attending the National Assembly.

He made memorable cameos when he was elected the leader of the House, when he announced his government’s decisions to put his tormentor, former army chief and president Gen Pervez Musharraf, on trial and then to proclaim the launch of military operation in North Waziristan. Insipid budget sessions were the other occasions when he showed up in the house.

Now that he needs to rally the support from all quarters – primarily the opposing political parties – to save the endangered democratic system, he enters the house the moment the Speaker opens the National Assembly proceedings and stays around until the last speech has been delivered.

“It seems, the prime minister would stay for the night if the proceedings prolonged. Quite a change for PML-N, which has the habit of reacting late to developments,” quipped a seasoned media person.

“One hopes the prime minister rides over this crisis. Otherwise, by ignoring the parliament, their invincible line of defence, he and his party have done all to bring their government down,” said the journalist who has been covering National Assembly since decades.

The sudden change in Mian Nawaz Sharif has changed his partymen too. PML-N legislators, who would be in the parliament only when their leader made his rare appearance, are now found making a beeline to the current sessions. They now see a chance to have a word with their revered leader.

Previously, even a handshake with PM Sharif was reserved only for the members of his ‘kitchen cabinet’.

It is a pleasant surprise for all to see the old aloof prime minister greeting his seekers with open arms, listening to them and receiving their applications for favours.

Indeed, on one occasion, people in the Press Gallery saw the prime minister directing his staff, sitting in the officials’ enclosure, to take immediate action on the applications handed to him.

“Whether right or wrong in their street agitation, I must accept that the anti-government protests of PTI and PAT have brought a sea of change in our leadership. Not only are they accessible, they are also listening to our requests,” said one of the PML-N lawmakers from South Punjab, who used to be very critical of the federal cabinet in private conversations in the past.

Another PML-N MNA, from central Punjab, laughed his head off when asked if he held the same view. “We just hope this crisis is peacefully resolved and our prime minister continues to attend the parliament with the same regularity,” he said.

Speakers from both sides of the aisle have criticised, in subdued or loud tones, the prime minister’s absence from the parliament and the ‘arrogance’ of his cabinet ministers during the ongoing joint session.

On Thursday, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani cautioned the prime minister that if he did not come to the parliament “conspiracies against democracy will keep unfolding”. Earlier, his party colleague Aitzaz Ahsan had warned Mian Nawaz Sharif that hopefully he would ride over the current crisis but can face worse if he returned to his old bad habits.

Published in Dawn, September 05th, 2014