Widow of slain politician joins Pakistan's ruling party, breaks with ANP legacy

In a move reflecting shifting political allegiances in Pakistan, Samar Haroon Bilour -- the widow of a prominent politician killed in a 2018 suicide bombing -- has officially joined the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), following a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Bilour’s shift carries symbolic weight in Pakistan’s evolving political landscape, especially given her family’s deep-rooted association with the Awami National Party (ANP), a secular, left-leaning party based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province with a legacy of resistance against extremism but currently holding no seats in the federal legislature.

The PML-N, which leads the federal government, has allocated a reserved seat for Samar Bilour in the National Assembly, solidifying her formal induction into the party.

Speaking to media, Bilour said she was approached by senior PML-N leaders a few days earlier and was later invited to meet with the prime minister. She cited personal reasons for leaving the ANP but declined to go into detail.

Ikhtiar Wali, the prime minister’s Coordinator, told Nukta that the Bilour family has made immense sacrifices for Pakistan and that Samar’s inclusion marks a “major political boost” for the PML-N.

“Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif shares longstanding ties with the Bilour family and has personally directed party leaders to secure a reserved seat for Samar Bilour,” he added.

ANP’s reaction

Responding to the development, ANP President Senator Aimal Wali Khan said Samar’s departure came as no surprise and appeared to be influenced by people “lacking ideological commitment and a legacy of sacrifice.”

He emphasized that veteran ANP leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour -- Samar’s uncle-in-law and a stalwart of the party for over six decades -- remains loyal and should not be dragged into new political turmoil at this stage in life.

Aimal added that Samar’s political identity was shaped by the sacrifices of her martyred father-in-law Bashir Bilour and husband Haroon Bilour, urging her to honor that legacy.

  A file photo of Haroon BilourHaroon Bilour/FB

ANP’s central spokesperson, Engineer Ihsanullah Khan, also downplayed the impact of her exit. He told Nukta that Samar was only “incidentally” part of the party following Haroon Bilour’s assassination ahead of the 2018 general elections. He stressed that it is the wider Bilour family -- not just Samar -- that remains an asset to the ANP.

“The Bilour family still stands with the ANP, and it’s worth noting that Samar’s father previously served as a minister in a past PML-N government,” he added.

Khan also pointed to ANP’s strong stance on issues like the Mines and Minerals Bill, opposition to the revival of the Jirga system, and the party’s firm position on the KP-FATA merger.

“Not everyone can withstand the weight of ANP’s political stance -- it appears Samar may have had her own compulsions,” he remarked.

The Bilour legacy

The Bilour family hails from the tribal district of Bajaur, later settling in Peshawar where family patriarch Haji Bilour Din gained respect for his business and community leadership. Over time, the family emerged as a prominent political force in KP and national politics.

Samar Bilour, a former provincial information secretary for ANP and member of the KP Assembly, was gradually sidelined after Aimal Wali Khan assumed the party presidency. She has not held any formal position within the ANP since.

Her political career began under tragic circumstances. In 2018, her husband Haroon Bilour -- an ANP leader -- was killed in a suicide bombing during an election rally. Samar later contested and won his provincial assembly seat. Her father-in-law, Bashir Bilour, another senior ANP figure and former provincial minister, was also killed in a similar attack in 2011.