A bitter political divide is splintering the renowned Tarakai family for the first time since its appearance on the political landscape of Swabi in 2005.
The feud hurtled out of control on Monday when it turned violent during the inauguration of Shahzeb Shaheed Degree College in the Razar area of district Swabi, where party workers clashed after a verbal slugfest, leaving a senior member injured and hospitalised.
According to sources, workers attacked Buland Tarakai at the behest of the minister of elementary and secondary education Shahram Khan Tarakai.
The family is now said to be torn apart over differences with the latest incidence of violence further inflaming the matters. Shahram, Liaquat Khan Tarakai (Shahram’s father) and Mohammad Ali Tarakai have parted ways with former MNA Usman Tarakai and Buland.
It is pertinent to note that the Tarakai family simultaneously enjoys representation in both the National Assembly and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly.
In 2010, the family formed their own political party, Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP) and contested the 2013 elections from its platform. Usman Tarakai has been again elected twice as MNA and Mr Shahram won the provincial assembly seat PK-32.
However, in 2015, AJIP was merged into PTI and in the same year, Shahram’s father, Liaquat Khan Tarakai won the Senate elections on the PTI ticket.
On the other hand, Liaquat Tarakai’s brother Muhammad Ali Tarakai is a twice-elected MPA. Mr Shahram has also been elected MPA for the second time and is now the provincial minister.
Insiders further disclosed that for some time now differences had been simmering between provincial minister Shahram, his father Liaquat and uncle Muhammad Ali and their brothers Usman and Buland for"violating" the party's policies.
Sources said that the provincial minister's position in this regard is that PTI entered the political arena to wage its war against corruption and nepotism and has asserted there was no space for anyone who violates the party’s principles.
The provincial minister and his seniors parted their political ways based on the continuous complaints received from the party workers and other issues as they are not ready to deviate from the PTI policy in any way,
Published in The Express Tribune, October 18th, 2022.
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