SWABI: After going missing for more than nine months, MNA-elect Shahram Khan Tarakai was greeted with warmth on Wednesday as he arrived at the Swabi Interchange on the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway. Then he was led in a procession to this Tarakai House.
As an independent candidate supported by PTI, Mr. Shahram, the health minister in the previous PTI government in the province, ran for the NA-20 seat.
Following the events of May 9, 2023, he fled into hiding.
In a case filed in Swabi, the Peshawar High Court granted him protective bail on Tuesday, extending until February 19.
Despite not conducting a physical campaign, Mr. Shahram was able to defeat Waris Khan of the Awami National Party and his uncle Usman Khan Tarakai, the candidate for the Pakistan Peoples Party, by a significant margin of more than 74,000 votes for the NA seat.
Provincial constituencies were also won by his cousin Murtaza Khan Tarakai and brother Faisal Khan Tarrskai.
Speaking to the party workers, Mr. Shahram claimed that he was forced to renounce his loyalty to party chairman Imran Khan after many raids on his home and fake charges were filed against the party officials. Still, the PTI won out in the end.
He stated that every strategy used to exclude PTI from the election contest was ineffective. “We won’t betray people’s trust, because they trust us and campaigned for us,” he declared.
I stand with Imran Khan. I'm grateful to the people Of Swabi who elected me with a huge lead. Inshallah I will follow, support Imran Khan & will be loyal to my oath.
— Shahram Khan Tarakai (@ShahramKTarakai) February 14, 2024
People, according to Shahram, are the real source of power. “The election results demonstrated that the PTI-backed candidates had the last say over a person’s destiny.”
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS
