Pak PM faces prospect of being run out in number game during no-trust vote

Islamabad: Pakistan's embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has promised to bowl an inswing yorker against Opposition leaders for tabling a no-confidence motion against him, is now facing the prospect of being run out in the number game in Parliament on Sunday with key allies deserting him and a sizeable number of rebel lawmakers vowing to vote against him.

Khan, who came to power in 2018 with promises to create a Naya Pakistan', is at a critical juncture of his political career as he has lost majority after defection from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Two of his allied parties also withdrew their support and joined the ranks of the rejuvenated Opposition.

The 69-year-old cricketer-turned politician is facing the no-confidence motion, which was tabled by the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on March 28. The National Assembly is scheduled to vote on the no-trust motion on Sunday.

Khan needs 172 votes in the lower house of 342 to foil the Opposition's bid to topple him. However, the Opposition claims it has the support of 175 lawmakers and the prime minister should immediately resign.

A defiant Khan has said that he will not resign despite losing the majority and insisted that he will "fight till the last ball" and face the vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly on Sunday.

Khan has described the rebel lawmakers as "traitors" and said that they will be branded as such for the rest of their lives as he pleaded with them to come back and foil the Opposition's attempt to topple his government.

No Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office. Also, no prime minister in Pakistan's history has ever been ousted through a no-confidence motion, and Khan is the third premier to face the challenge.

Since coming to power in 2018, Khan has miserably failed to address the basic problem of keeping the prices of commodities in control, allowing the Opposition to target his government as inefficient.

On Friday, Khan claimed he has credible information that his life is in danger but asserted that he is not afraid and will continue his fight for an independent and democratic Pakistan.

Khan's security has been beefed up as per the government's decision after he claimed that his life is in danger.