Arbab Zarak Khan

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Arbab Zarak Khan
Arbab Zarak Khan.jpg
Member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Incumbent
Assumed office
29 February 2024
Residence(s)Arbab House, Jehangir Abad, Tehkal Bala, Peshawar
OccupationPolitician

Arbab Zarak Khan is a Pakistani politician who serves as a member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (PAKP) from the constituency PK-80 (Peshawar-IX). He was elected in the 2024 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial election as a candidate of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He belongs to the prominent Arbab family of Peshawar, which has a significant history in the politics of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Contents

Early life and family

Arbab Zarak Khan was born into a politically influential family from the Tehkal area of Peshawar. He is the son of Arbab Alamgir Khan, a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party who served as the Federal Minister for Communications, and Asma Arbab Alamgir, who served as a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and as an advisor to the Federal Minister of States and Frontier Regions. [1]

His paternal grandfather, Arbab Jehangir Khan (1936–2007), was a heavyweight politician who served as the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (then NWFP) and held various federal ministerial portfolios. [2] The family resides at "Arbab House" in Jehangir Abad, Tehkal Bala, Peshawar.

Political career

2024 General Elections

Zarak Khan contested the 2024 Pakistani general election for the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa seat PK-80 (Peshawar-IX) on a Pakistan Peoples Party ticket. He won the seat by securing 23,311 votes, defeating his main rival, Hamid Ul Haq of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who secured 10,251 votes. [3] [4] His victory was seen as a resurgence for the PPP in a district where the party had faced stiff competition in previous elections.

Parliamentary contributions

Following his induction into the assembly on 29 February 2024, Zarak Khan was appointed to several standing committees. He is a member of the Standing Committee No. 20 on Planning and Development Department. [5] He also serves on the Standing Committee on Energy, where he has been involved in reviewing hydropower projects in the province. [6]

Arbab Niaz Stadium controversy

In early 2026, a significant political controversy arose when the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government, led by the PTI, announced a decision to rename the historic Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar to "Imran Khan Cricket Stadium." Arbab Zarak Khan, along with other family members, strongly opposed this move.

On 2 February 2026, Zarak Khan addressed the media, terming the decision "irrational" and "unacceptable." He stated that the stadium was named after his relative, Arbab Niaz Muhammad Khan, in recognition of his services to the city, and that renaming it was a politically motivated attempt to divert attention from governance issues. He announced that the Arbab family would challenge the decision in court. [7] [1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Arbab family rejects KP Govt decision to change name of Niaz Cricket Stadium". Associated Press of Pakistan. 2026-02-02. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  2. ↑ "Arbab Jehangir Khan profile". Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  3. ↑ "PK-80 Election Result 2024 Peshawar 9, Candidates List". Geo News. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
  4. ↑ "PPPP Arbab Zarak Khan wins PK-80 election". Associated Press of Pakistan. 2024-02-09.
  5. ↑ "Standing Committee No. 20 on Planning and Development Department". Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  6. ↑ "KP MPs body discusses hydropower projects in Dir". The Nation. 2025-09-26.
  7. ↑ "Peshawar's historic Arbab Niaz Stadium renamed despite objections". Cricket Pakistan. 2025-04-07.
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