KP Assembly to hold first-ever session at Imran Khan Cricket Stadium

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly will, for the first time, meet outside its usual premises, with proceedings scheduled to be held at Imran Khan Cricket Stadium on April 22.

Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati announced the decision, describing it as an unprecedented step in the province’s parliamentary history. A formal notification issued by the KP Assembly Secretariat said the sitting will begin at 3pm and will be chaired by Speaker Swati.

According to the speaker, the purpose of shifting the session to an open venue is to allow the public to directly watch the work of their elected representatives and to promote transparency in the democratic process.

Swati said the move is also intended to encourage greater public involvement and strengthen engagement between citizens and lawmakers. He added that similar open sessions could also be arranged in other districts of the province in the future, saying such steps would support more direct contact between the public and their representatives.

Administrative and security arrangements

An assembly spokesperson said members from both the treasury and opposition benches had agreed to the arrangement. The spokesperson added that directions had been issued to the sports department, police and district administration to complete security and administrative preparations for the session.

Speaker Swati, Deputy Speaker Suriya Bibi, Assembly Secretary Syed Waqar Shah and provincial ministers also visited the stadium to inspect the arrangements ahead of the sitting.

Opposition response

Opposition Leader Dr Ibadullah also welcomed the decision to convene the session in an open venue. He said the arrangement would give the opposition a chance to question the government’s performance directly in front of the public.

He further said that although the government’s intention behind the move was not clear, the opposition would make full use of the opportunity.

The primary objective of holding the session in an open venue is to provide the public with a direct opportunity to observe the performance of their elected representatives and to strengthen transparency in the democratic process.

The planned sitting marks a notable departure from the assembly’s usual practice of meeting inside the provincial legislature building. The official notification and statements issued by assembly authorities indicate that the event is being presented as part of an effort to bring parliamentary proceedings closer to the public.

With both government and opposition members on board, the April 22 session is set to proceed under special arrangements at the stadium, where provincial authorities are finalising logistics and security measures.