Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday expressed his confidence in Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, and refused to yield to pressure being exerted from the Tareen-Aleem group demanding Buzdar's removal.

According to a story in The News, the prime minister said it would not be easy to replace Buzdar. Quoting sources the report said PM Imran said no one had done as much work as Buzdar did as chief minister.

The disgruntled Tareen-Aleem group, who joined forces earlier in the week, conveyed their demand for Buzdar's removal, to Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry who had been tasked by PM Imran to speak to former party loyalists.

The group met on Tuesday in a bid to defuse tensions among old party loyalists who felt they had been sidelined once Khan came to power. They claim to have a solid number of party loyalists who feel the PTI has strayed from its core objectives.

Their message was conveyed to the prime minister by Ismail and Chaudhry but, the News quotes, the premier was adamant about working with Buzdar. He is quoted as saying Buzdar was an easy target and those who opposed him were vying for the top slot themselves.

In related news, PM Imran chaired a meeting of federal ministers, including Asad Umar and Shafqat Mehmood where they all pledged their allegiance to their party leader.

PM Imran assured the participants the opposition will fail in their no-trust motion.

He was referring to the no-confidence motion filed by the opposition in the National Assembly against the prime minister on Tuesday.

The prime minister later addressed a delegation of YouTubers Tuesday afternoon where he reiterated his confidence that his government would survive any attempts to dislodge it.

"We will defeat them in such a manner that they will not be able to recover from it until 2028," he said. "The opposition be defeated."