During the presidency of Adib Shishakli (1951–54), he became an anti-government activist and was imprisoned twice, only to be released in an unsuccessful attempt by Shishakli to gain the support of Atrash's father, Sultan.
Pada masa Kepresidenan Adib Shishakli (1951–54), ia menjadi aktivits anti-pemerintah dan ditahan dua kali, baru dibebaskan dalam sebuah upaya gagal oleh Shishakli untuk mendapatkan dukungan dari ayah Atrash, Sultan.