Pakistan's parliament will convene on Saturday to vote on removing Imran Khan as prime minister, an official notice said on Friday, potentially cutting short his term as leader.

The country's top court ruled late on Thursday that Khan must face the no-confidence vote. If he loses the vote, the opposition will put forward a candidate for prime minister.

The lower house of parliament has been convened for a session on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. (0530 GMT), the speaker's office said in an order. The vote, brought by the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, is the fourth point on the agenda.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said the Pakistani government had decided to submit a "threat letter," which purportedly contains "evidence" of a foreign-conspired plan to oust Khan, to Saturday's session, and had also formed a probe commission.

Khan, a former cricket star who took office in 2018, was due to address the nation later on Friday. He said after Thursday's ruling that "my message to our nation is I have always and will continue to fight for (Pakistan) till the last ball."

In its ruling, the Supreme Court said Khan had acted unconstitutionally in blocking the no-confidence vote when it was due to take place last Sunday, after which he dissolved parliament and called an election.

The ruling was the latest twist in a crisis that has threatened political and economic stability in the country of 220 million people.

Khan has accused the United States of supporting a plot to oust him. Washington has dismissed the accusation.

(With input from Reuters)

(Cover: A television broadcasts live footage of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at a store in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 5, 2022. /CFP)