LAHORE, DEC 26: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi arrived in Lahore on Friday for a three-day visit, during which he is expected to hold a series of political meetings.
The KP chief minister, accompanied by a delegation, entered the city after crossing the Ravi Toll Plaza, marking his formal entry into the provincial capital.
He is scheduled to visit the Punjab Assembly and meet the party’s parliamentary members in the province.
Meanwhile, sources said that the Punjab Assembly secretariat has approved CM Afridi and his delegation’s entry into the provincial legislature, with the complete list of the delegation shared with assembly security.
According to sources, Afridi will be accompanied by provincial ministers, cabinet members, and parliamentarians during his visit to the Punjab Assembly.
The KP chief minister is also scheduled to meet opposition members inside the Punjab Assembly and address them during the visit.
CM Afridi is also expected to address lawyers at the Lahore High Court Bar on Saturday and visit various locations, including Liberty Chowk.
PTI sources said that CM Afridi may call on senior PTI leaders, including Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Hammad Azhar and Ejaz Chaudhry, and meet senior journalists and anchorpersons during his visit.
He is also expected to visit incarcerated PTI leaders in Kot Lakhpat jail.
In a statement, Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channer said that the KP chief minister would be welcomed on his visit to the Punjab Assembly if he decides to do so.
The visit comes as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) federal government and the opposition alliance have signalled readiness for talks to calm down the political environment.
The possibility of renewed negotiations between the government and the opposition arose on Wednesday as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended an offer for talks on the floor of the National Assembly.
In an address to his cabinet, the premier said that the PTI founder and his associates were also discussing the possibility of talks.
Later, leaders of the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP), a multi-party opposition alliance, said that they were ready to hold talks on a range of national issues.
The announcement was made after a meeting of the TTAP under the chairmanship of Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
PTI leader Asad Qaiser was in attendance alongside Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, BNP-M leader Sajid Tareen, and Khokhar.
