Imran Khan accepts court ruling on confidence vote, despite alleging 'conspiracy'

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday he accepted a ruling by Pakistan's Supreme Court that may see him ousted from office.

Khan, who insists he is a victim of a "regime change" conspiracy driven by the US, is now almost certain to lose a no-confidence vote at the national assembly on Saturday that will determine his fate following the defection of his coalition partner and several of his own party members.

The Supreme Court ordered on Thursday that the session be convened after it found that Khan acted illegally by dissolving parliament and calling for fresh elections following the prevention of an earlier no-confidence vote by the deputy speaker of the national assembly. 

With his majority gone, Khan accused the opposition of buying support in the assembly with "open horse-trading... selling of lawmakers like goats and sheep", further accusing them of conspiring with Washington because of his opposition to US foreign policy.

"I was disappointed with the Supreme Court decision but I want to make it clear that I respect the Supreme Court and Pakistan's judiciary," he said.