LAHORE: Sohail Afridi, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, arrived in Lahore on Friday for a three-day political visit, which includes a series of meetings and engagements. Accompanied by a delegation, he entered the city after crossing the Ravi Toll Plaza, marking his official entry into the provincial capital.
During his stay, Afridi is expected to visit the Punjab Assembly and hold discussions with the province’s parliamentary members. Sources confirm that the Punjab Assembly secretariat has granted permission for Afridi and his team to enter the legislature, with details of the delegation shared with security officials.
It is reported that the delegation includes provincial ministers, cabinet members, and parliamentarians. Afridi is also slated to meet opposition members within the Punjab Assembly and deliver a speech during the visit.
Additionally, he is scheduled to address lawyers at the Lahore High Court Bar on Saturday and visit key locations such as Liberty Chowk. PTI sources indicate that Afridi may also meet senior PTI leaders, including Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Hammad Azhar, and Ejaz Chaudhry, along with prominent journalists and media personalities. There are also plans for him to visit PTI leaders detained at Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channer mentioned that Afridi would be welcomed at the Punjab Assembly should he choose to visit.
This visit coincides with signals from the PML-N-led federal government and opposition alliances indicating a willingness to engage in dialogue to ease the current political tensions. The prospect of renewed negotiations gained momentum on Wednesday when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered to hold talks in the National Assembly.
In a cabinet address, the Prime Minister mentioned that PTI leader Imran Khan and his associates were also contemplating dialogue options. Later, leaders of the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP), a coalition of opposition parties, stated their readiness to discuss various national issues following a meeting chaired by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, which was attended by PTI’s Asad Qaiser, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, BNP-M leader Sajid Tareen, and Khokhar.
