PESHAWAR – In a significant political development, Senior Awami National Party (ANP) leader and former Member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Samar Haroon Bilour, has joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Samar Haroon Bilour, along with Saeeda Jamshed and Jamshed Mohmand, held an important meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. The meeting was also attended by key party leaders including Advisor to the PM Rana Sanaullah, Federal Minister for Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir Affairs and PML-N KP President Engineer Amir Muqam, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf, Minister for Public Affairs Rana Mubashir, and PML-N KP General Secretary Murtaza Javed Abbasi.
During the meeting, Samar Haroon Bilour praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s efforts in stabilizing the country’s economy and putting it on the right track toward sustainable growth. She lauded the federal government’s people-friendly budget, economic policies, and emphasis on national development.
Samar stated that her vision for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa aligns with the broader development agenda being implemented in the federal capital and Punjab, and expressed her desire to see similar progress in KP. She affirmed her commitment to serve the people of the province in collaboration with the PML-N leadership, highlighting her focus on inclusive governance and the uplift of marginalised communities.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warmly welcomed Samar Haroon Bilour into the PML-N ranks and conveyed his best wishes for her future political journey. He appreciated her dedication to public service and noted that her inclusion in the party would strengthen its presence and organizational structure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Prime Minister also commended her spirit of public service, calling it a valuable asset for the party and a symbol of resilience in Pakistani politics. Samar, the widow of the martyred ANP leader Haroon Bashir Bilour, brings with her a legacy of political engagement and deep grassroots connections.
Her formal joining of PML-N is expected to bolster the party’s position in KP, particularly as preparations begin for the upcoming general elections. Her move is being seen as a strategic step that could influence the political dynamics of the province, especially in urban constituencies. Samar Bilour is known as one of the most prominent and active women leaders in ANP. Over the years, she has held several key positions within the party, including serving as the Provincial Secretary of Information for ANP and being elected as a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Peshawar.
She is the widow of Shaheed Haroon Bashir Bilour, a senior ANP leader who was tragically martyred in a suicide bombing during an election campaign in 2018. Haroon Bilour’s assassination was widely mourned and marked a dark chapter in the province’s political history. Since then, Samar Bilour has carried forward his political legacy with determination, becoming a symbol of resilience within her party and among her supporters.
Her decision to part ways with ANP and align with PML-N comes at a time when the political landscape in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is undergoing significant transformation, especially ahead of the next general elections. Political analysts suggest that her move could strengthen the PML-N’s position in a region traditionally influenced by nationalist and religious parties.
Sources close to the development indicate that PML-N leadership has been in contact with Samar Bilour for several weeks. Her inclusion is being viewed as a major gain for the party, which is actively seeking to expand its political base in the province.
Reactions to Samar Haroon Bilour’s political shift have been mixed as some ANP loyalists have expressed disappointment, while others view the decision as a personal choice in light of current political realities. Within the PML-N, her anticipated arrival has been welcomed by the party leadership, particularly those responsible for electoral strategy in KP.
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