PESHAWAR, April 1: Former Awami National Party MPA Aurangzeb Khan on Monday withdrew his candidature in favour of party candidate for PK-1, Peshawar-I, Ghazanfar Bilour, and said though the party didn’t give him ticket for the next general elections, he would remain loyal to it.

“My elder brother and former MPA, Alamzeb Khan, sacrificed his life for the party but even then, I will obey the party’s decision,” he told a news conference here at Peshawar Press Club.

The ex-MPA said following the death of his brother, the party had given him ticket in the by-elections and succeeded to win the seat (PK-1 Peshawar-I), this time he was ignored but ticket had no importance for him.

He claimed that rival parties had offered him tickets for the national and provincial assembly seats but he did not compromise principles and vowed to work for the party’s candidates.

Mr Aurangzeb said his family was loyal to ANP and had rendered great sacrifices for the party over the years.

The ex-MPA, however, said he would never prefer his personal interest to the party interest in future.

Aurangzeb’s elder brother, Alamzeb Khan, who had won the 2008 general elections on ANP platform from the PK-1 constituency but remained member of the assembly for nine months only as he had been killed in a bomb blast in front of his hujra on Dalazak Road.

Later, ANP awarded ticket for by-election to his brother, Aurangzeb, and also succeeded in the elections.

Aurangzeb was targeted by militants but remained unhurt.

He assured the ANP leadership that he would extend all-out support to the party candidate in the elections.