LOWER DIR: Zahid Khan, one of the diehard followers of the late Bacha Khan and ANP’s former senator, on Sunday parted ways with his party and joined PML-N. Zahid Khan’s brother Malik Mohammad Ayub along with hundreds of his supporters from Balambat, Timergara, Khall and Maidan areas also joined the PML-N led by three-time premier Nawaz Sharif. served as spokesman for ANP and represented it at the Centre for the last 34 years. He made the announcement at a function held in the Odigram area in the presence of PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam and a large number of people. The ex-senator said he was joining the PML-N on the invitation of Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, adding that the invitation had been extended to him during a meeting held in London last year. Muqam welcomes seasoned politician, says his decision will strengthen PML-N in the region “I remained an ideological worker but unfortunately, ideology doesn’t work any more,” he deplored, adding that party positions did not matter to him. “I was elected senator twice and served the ANP as its central spokesman for the last 34 years,” he said, adding that despite positions he always preferred to remain a worker. The former ANP stalwart said that Malakand division was the most neglected region and he would like to serve its people as a worker of PML-N. Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam in his speech alleged that the PTI leadership wanted to destabilise Paki­stan as it has been involved in several conspiracies against the state. He pointed out that PTI had declared Pakistan had defaulted but it was the PML-N leadership that put the country on the path to progress. Mr Muqam welcomed Zahid Khan in the PML-N and said his decision would strengthen the party in the area. Praising the federal government’s policies, he said interest rate had declined to 15 per cent from 23pc while stock market had recorded historical progress. He said inflation was also coming down while the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government did not even have funds to pay salaries to its employees. Talking about issues faced by the people of Malakand division, the minister held out the assurance that he would try his best to get a special package approved for the region from the federal government. Former provincial minister Malik Jehan Zeb Khan, Mian Sultan Yousaf, Malik Ayub Khan, former provincial minister Wajid Ali Khan and PML-N district general secretary Sardar Javed Akhtar also spoke.