Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to hold historic session at cricket stadium

By Bilal Haider :

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly is set to convene its session outside the provincial legislature building for the first time, with proceedings scheduled to take place at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium.

Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati announced that the session will be held on 22 April at 15:00 local time, describing the move as unprecedented in the province’s parliamentary history.

A formal notification issued by the assembly secretariat confirmed the arrangement, stating that the session will be chaired by the speaker at the open-air venue.

Officials say the decision is intended to improve transparency and allow the public to directly observe legislative proceedings. The speaker said the initiative aims to strengthen democratic engagement by bringing lawmakers closer to citizens and encouraging greater public participation.

He added that similar sessions could be organised in other districts in the future to expand outreach and interaction between elected representatives and the public.

Authorities have begun preparations for the event, with the sports department, police and district administration tasked with ensuring security and logistical arrangements. Senior assembly officials, including the speaker and other lawmakers, have already visited the venue to review readiness.

Opposition Leader Ibadullah Khan welcomed the decision, saying it would provide an opportunity to question the government’s performance in front of the public. He added that the opposition would make full use of the platform, despite uncertainty over the government’s broader intentions behind the move.

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