Shahram Tarakai gets cabinet berth, but loses long-time friend

PESHAWAR: After resoling issues with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Shahram Tarakai managed to get berth in the provincial cabinet, but lost his long-time friend and close relative Muhammad Atif Khan.

The party leadership is considering giving him the health or education ministry. And the decision is expected by Monday. Prime Minister Imran Khan had reportedly given a free hand to Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, who had removed three provincial ministers, including Shahram Tarakai, Muhammad Atif Khan and Shakeel Ahmad.

The prime minister had ordered their removal, as they were accused of creating groupings in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). After being removed, Shahram Tarakai and Atif Khan had publicly held the PTI government responsible for poor governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The third minister, who was sacked along with Shahram and Atif was Shakeel Ahmad. He was the revenue minister, while Shahram Tarakai held the health portfolio and Atif Khan was minister for culture and tourism.

Unlike Shahram and Atif, Shakeel Ahmad had preferred to keep quiet after his removal and avoided issuing any harsh statement against the government or the chief minister. Both Shahram Tarakai and Atif Khan are close relatives as well as long-time friends. They developed differences with Mahmood Khan soon after he was made the chief minister.

Atif Khan was in fact considered to be a strong contender for the chief minister’s slot when PTI won the 2018 general election when the party leader Imran Khan decided to call former chief minister Pervez Khattak to Islamabad and wanted him to become part of their government in the centre. Before that, there was a tough race between Pervez Khattak and Atif Khan for the chief minister’s slot. Mahmood Khan’s name was never discussed for this important position but old differences between Pervez Khattak and Atif Khan brought him to the limelight.

Pervez Khattak reportedly used all his connections within the party and prevented Atif Khan from becoming the chief minister. Senior PTI leaders told The News that Atif Khan had never accepted Mahmood Khan as chief minister and his style of criticising the government was always aggressive and insulting.

“Mahmood Khan had never taken it personally and used to be very polite with Atif Khan and Shahram Tarakai but some other party people provoked the chief minister and created differences among them that finally led their ouster from the government,” said a senior PTI leader in Peshawar wishing not to be named.

Shahram and Atif were called by the prime minister soon after their removal that generated speculations that both of them would be brought back to the government.

It didn’t happen as the prime minister apparently sided with the chief minister. “Even then the issues were nearly resolved but some spoilers played a dirty role and widened the gap,” said an insider of the party.

In eight months, different people made attempts to resolve the differences between the chief minister and the two former ministers but they could not succeed. Of late, Governor Shah Farman patched things up between Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Shahram Tarakai. He arranged their long expected meeting at the Governor’s House. It shocked Atif Khan as he never imagined that his close friend and relative will leave him alone. According to sources, Shahram Tarakai was desperately trying to be adjusted in the cabinet as they had largely invested in their election campaign and their constituents wanted him to solve their problems and bring them developmental projects, which obviously is not possible when one is not in the government.

Before joining the cabinet, the sources said that Shahram Tarakai had consulted Atif Khan but could not convince him to forget what had happened in the past.

Sources close to Atif Khan told The News that Atif Khan was willing to return to the cabinet and work with Mahmood Khan but he didn’t trust Shah Farman making efforts for reconciliation. “He actually waited for Imran Khan to intervene and invite all of them and resolve their differences in his presence. Atif Khan was not happy with Shah Farman and refused to trust him anymore,” said a source close to Atif Khan. He said it hurt Atif Khan when Shahram Tarakai alone walked to the Governor’s House and took oath. Well-placed sources told The News that Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed Mahmood Khan a couple of months ago to adjust Shahram Tarakai in his cabinet, but didn’t recommend Atif Khan. Sources close to the chief minister told The News that Mahmood Khan had personally opposed Atif Khan’s entry into the government as he was not happy with his attitude.

Interestingly, the biggest loser was proved to be Shakeel Ahmad as neither Shahram nor Atif bothered to take him into confidence while meeting PM Imran Khan. The Tarakai family has been dominating politics in Swabi district after defeating Awami National Party (ANP) in its stronghold and others in successive elections. Besides Shahram Tarakai, his father Liaqat Tarakai is a PTI member of the Senate, his uncle Usman Tarakai is an MNA and his cousin Mohammad Ali Tarakai is an MPA.