Pakistan PM Imran Khan confident ahead of trust vote in Parliament

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan appeared confident of winning a trust vote in the National Assembly on Saturday even as the ruling party has warned rebels that those who vote against him would be disqualified.

Khan, 68, decided to take a vote of confidence in the lower house of Parliament after his finance minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh was defeated in the closely-fought Senate election on Wednesday. The Opposition demanded the Prime Minister's resignation after the debacle.

The floor test will take place without the Opposition as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Friday decided to boycott the vote of confidence on Khan's government.

The special National Assembly session has been convened on the directives of President Arif Alvi.

According to the National Assembly Secretariat, the session is being held today on the one-point agenda of the Prime Minister's vote of confidence, and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will table a resolution in the House on which voting will be held.

Prime Minister Khan will have to get 171 votes in the House of 341 to remain in office.