SWABI: Awami National Party, which faces the powerful entrepreneurial family of provincial Health Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai in Swabi, is facing leadership crisis in the district, admit party leaders and workers.

Late MNA Haji Rehmanullah, father of ANP leader and district nazim Ameer Rehman, who remained the party district president for 25 years passed away a year ago, and killing of MPA Mohammad Shoaib by militants on July 18 has created a leadership vacuum among the Red Shirt followers in the district, they said.

The two departed leaders belonged to Razaar, a stronghold of both the ANP and the Tarakai family. In the last two general elections, ANP tasted defeat in Razaar, and only emerged victorious in the district nazim elections after forming a seven-party Swabi Democratic Alliance.

In the 2013 general elections, the Tarakai family managed to have three MPAs and one MNA from the district, while ANP did not have a single parliamentarian from Swabi, which used to be stronghold of Wali Bagh leaders.

ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan contested 2008 elections from NA-12, Swabi-1, but was defeated by Usman Khan Tarakai, Shahram’s uncle.

ANP leaders said when Shahram’s Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan faced humiliating defeat in the local government polls it decided to merge with PTI, having an eye on 2018 general elections.

But, ANP is confident that the seven-party alliance would be able to defeat the AJIP in future elections. “Without the alliance it is really difficult to defeat the Tarakai family, which has always come up with solid strategies to win polls,” admitted an ANP leader.

The Tarakai family spread its wings after joining politics in 2005, when Mr Shahram was elected district nazim, defeating Amanullah, uncle of ANP current district nazim Ameer Rehman.

However, political observers maintain that it is an uphill task for ANP to come out of the ongoing leadership crisis. They are of the opinion that the ANP has to get its act together sooner than later as the general elections are not that far.

However, some ANP leaders said it was not the first time they confronted such difficult times in the district.

Mohammad Ishfaq, who contested 2013 elections from PK-33, Swabi-III, said many prominent leaders left ANP in critical times, but the party managed to hold its foothold in the district.

While admitting that the ANP was passing through a critical period in the district, Ameer Rehman, however, said the party was capable to handle the leadership crisis.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2016