Former ANP stalwart set to join PML-N

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party’s (ANP) former spokesman and senior politician Zahid Khan has decided to part ways with the party to join Nawaz-Sharif led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), ARY News reported citing sources.

Zahid Khan will formally announce joining the PML-N on Sunday in a presser alongside Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs, Engineer Amir Muqam.

Zahid Khan had served as Senator twice from 1997 to 2003 and then 2009 to 2015. In addition to serving as a member of the Senate Committees on Communications, Information Technology & Telecommunication, and Parliamentary Affairs, he also chaired the Senate Committee on Water and Power.

Earlier in September, Zahid Khan announced to quit politics, saying that the situation made it difficult for him to pursue a career in politics.

He said that money has invaded politics and that he has never entered politics in order to profit from it. Zahid Khan had stated that he would want to distance himself from the day-to-day politics since he has been excluded from the party leadership’s agenda.

It is worth mentioning that earlier, the ANP central leader, Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour had also announced to quit the politics of electioneering.

Read More: ANP senior leader quits politics

The veteran politician, who lost last three elections from Peshawar, announced goodbye to politics and decided to move to Islamabad.

The former railways minister went onto say that his brother Bashir Bilour and nephew Haroon Bilour were martyred and he did not find any reason to stay in Peshawar as he had no interest in politics anymore.

“I was declared a loser in four elections, which I had won. My brother, son and a nephew were martyred by militants,” he has said, adding, “Now I am thinking of shifting to Islamabad.”