Islamabad - Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the cricket star turned politician, convened a cabinet meeting for Saturday night as delays dragged on over a vote in parliament on whether to oust him.

The meeting comes hours after parliament was abruptly adjourned before the vote that Khan was widely expected to lose, prolonging political uncertainty in the country.

The cabinet will meet at 9 p.m. (1600 GMT) on Saturday, reported Reuters, the latest twist in a crisis that has threatened political and economic stability in the South Asian nation.

Members of Imran's party suggested on Friday they would try to delay the vote as much as possible.

Before Saturday's session was adjourned, opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, expected to become prime minister if Khan is ousted, urged lower house Speaker Asad Qaiser to ensure the vote was carried out as a matter of priority.

The speaker said he would implement the court order "in true letter and spirit".

Khan, 69, surged to power in 2018 with the military's support but recently lost his parliamentary majority when allies quit his coalition government. Opposition parties say he has failed to revive an economy battered by COVID-19 or fulfil promises to make Pakistan a corruption-free, prosperous nation respected on the world stage.

-Reuters