In a surprise move, Samar Bilour quits ANP, decides to join PML-N

In a major blow to the Awami National Party (ANP), prominent party leader Samar Haroon Bilour has announced her decision to join the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Samar, a key figure in the influential Bilour political family and widow of slain ANP leader Haroon Bashir Bilour, disclosed her plans during a media interaction.

She said she would formally join PML-N after meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later today.

She previously served as a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from 2018 to 2023 and held the position of ANP’s provincial information secretary. Her victory in the 2018 by-election marked a historic moment, as she became the first woman in 16 years to win a general seat in the KP Assembly from Peshawar.

Samar's entry into PML-N is being seen as a strategic gain for the party, which has been working to strengthen its presence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ahead of upcoming elections.

Her influence and political legacy are expected to boost PML-N’s outreach in the province.