Islamabad is enjoying a whiff of fresh air. Lording over the parliament once again, Prime Minister Imran Khan exudes eerie confidence. A pleasant drop of the hat, indeed. His excellent batting has hit the opposition gauntlet straight out of the stadium. The ruling PTI powering through crucial bills on overseas voting and the use of EVMS, in the spite of his opponents’ determination to fight dirty in the ring is a phenomenal political development. That the kaptaan enjoyed rock-solid support from the allies and there are seemingly no dents in his party’s umbrella have both played a crucial role in finally spelling out the end of its dark days. The last few weeks have seen the government perpetually stuck in the eye of too many storms, all at once. Being defeated not once, but twice in the National Assembly was being construed as the beginning of the party’s final chapter. In the midst of it all, roared the opposition parties in unison. Wishing to revive the much-talked-about PDM, Mr Khan’s rivals appeared to have set their eye on his hot seat again. However, Wednesday’s landmark vote comes as a flashing dagger to all those wishing to luxuriate in any sweet-smelling opportunity. The allies have finally made peace as they stood ever-so-strong against the opposition parties. As their demands have been taken care of, they are back on board. The latest flexing of muscle has given a much-needed boost to the government. Amid heated rumours about it standing on shaky ground, failing to get the EVM bill through would have been a major setback. Because it would have painted the so-called growing discord in bold letters; turbocharging the slip in the parliamentary battle. But this show of solidarity has put a decisive blow on those thriving on conspiracies. Tearing agendas and orchestrating a noisy racket might make for colourful headlines but can do little to change the reality: all the king’s horses and all the king’s men are still walking the same line. The propaganda machines making a mountain out of the proverbial molehill of a Rawalpindi’s faceoff with Islamabad has already been dealt with. The one-page mantra still reigns supreme. Whether this echo of snarls continues or the opposition learns its lesson about all things being well, the ball is in its court. For now, PM Khan’s win has outshone the clamour within and outside the golden halls. The government has a tight grip on its numbers game. Today, the checkmate has been averted. *