Ahead of the no-confidence vote, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has assured his ruling party lawmakers of victory, while Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif said that a treason case should be first registered against the premier.

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

The prime minister 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.

Khan, who is now facing the prospect of being run out in the number game in Parliament on Sunday with key allies deserting him and a sizable number of rebel lawmakers vowing to vote against him, said that the match is not over till the last ball. "I am not worried about tomorrow… God willing, we will emerge victorious," The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Addressing the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: parliamentarians at the Prime Minister’s House here on Saturday, he took a jibe at Shehbaz, saying the one who had his sherwani’ ready for premiership does not know what is going to happen to him on Sunday.

In a press conference immediately after Khan’s address, Pakistan Muslim League (N) president Shahbaz said: Treason case should be first registered against Imran Khan… by not ending his

He said that if politicians get involved in treason and patriotism, then the matter will get out of hand, Geo News reported. He also warned that if Khan went against the Constitution and the law, they would take their course.

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Shahbaz’s statement on treason came as Prime Minister Khan alleges that the no-confidence motion moved against him is a foreign conspiracy Imran Khan, instead of admitting defeat, is busy dividing the nation.

He is refusing to follow the constitutional and legal path. He is inciting his supporters to sabotage the decision taken in Parliament tomorrow, said Shahbaz on Imran’s call for protests on Sunday ahead of the vote on the no-confidence motion.

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 the majority.

On April 1, Khan said he had credible information that his life was in danger but asserted that he was not afraid and would continue his fight for an independent and democratic Pakistan.

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