ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan won a vote of confidence during a special session of the National Assembly on Saturday called singularly for the trust motion after a recent Senate upset for the government.

The purpose of the vote was an affirmation that Pakistan’s MNAs still trust Khan and are confident in his leadership. Khan needed 172 votes in the 342-seat National Assembly to retain the confidence of the house and won 178.

"Consequently Mr. Imran khan has obtained the vote of confidence from the national assembly... as Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," NA speaker Asad Qaiser announced.

Khan, who enjoys the backing of majority lawmakers in the lower house of parliament, convened the session for Saturday after his key candidate lost the race for a seat in the 100-member upper chamber earlier this week.

On Friday, the opposition announced it would boycott the confidence vote and called a press conference on the green belt outside the parliament building at the same time as the vote.

Tensions on Saturday ran high once the National Assembly convened for the vote as both sides became confrontational and PML-N leaders alleged they had been mishandled, with some incidents caught on video.

The special session of the National Assembly began with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tabling the confidence resolution.

“Mr. Speaker with your permission, I beg to move that this House reposes confidence in the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan as required under Clause 7 of Article 91 of the Constitution,” Qureshi said.

The Senate elections on Wednesday saw the ruling Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s candidate, Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh, lose against Yusuf Raza Gilani, a former prime minister and senior opposition leader.

Despite Shaikh's loss, Khan's party emerged as the largest single party in the Senate but even with its allies from other parties, the opposition still had a slight, 53-47 majority over Khan in the upper chamber.

Following the balloting, the opposition demanded Khan step down but the ruling party rejected the demand and the prime minister called for the confidence vote.

Shaikh's defeat was a setback for Khan who criticized the country's Election Commission, claiming it had failed to ensure a free and fair vote for the Senate and saying that some 15 or 16 lawmakers from his party allegedly "sold" their vote to the opposition candidate.

Angered over Khan's criticism, the commission on Friday fired back, saying every political party and politician needed to have the "spirit to accept defeat" and not resort to mudslinging over election losses.