Hanif Abbasi

Muhammad Hanif Abbasi is a Pakistani politician representing the Pakistan Muslim League (N). He has served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan during two distinct periods.

Early life and education

Abbasi was born on 4 January 1966 in Rawalpindi, Punjab. He belongs to the Dhund Abbasi clan and is the son of Muhammad Khalil Abbasi. His immediate family consists of five brothers and one sister.

He attended Muslim League High School in Lahore for his early education. During his school years, he showed a strong interest in both football and cricket. He later pursued higher studies at Forman Christian College and the University of the Punjab to complete his graduation.

Career

Political activism began for Abbasi in 1977 while he was still a student. He initially started his formal political journey as a member of the Jamaat-e-Islami. In 2008, he transitioned to the Pakistan Muslim League (N) to continue his career.

His first victory in the National Assembly occurred during the 2002 by-elections. He ran as a candidate for the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) from the NA-56 (Rawalpindi VII) constituency. In this election, he defeated Sheikh Rashid Shafique, who is the nephew of Sheikh Rashid Ahmad.

Abbasi secured another term in the 2008 Pakistani general election. He contested the NA-56 seat on a PML-N ticket and won by obtaining 73,433 votes. This victory allowed him to defeat the former Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad.

The 2013 Pakistani general election resulted in a different outcome for the politician. He again contested from NA-56 (Rawalpindi VII) as a PML-N candidate but lost the seat. He received 67,169 votes, while Imran Khan secured 80,425 votes.

Legal challenges emerged in June 2012 when an F.I.R. was registered against him. The case involved the alleged misuse of 500 k.g. of ephedrine, which was a controlled drug obtained for Gray Pharmaceutical in 2010. Although he was granted bail from the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench in November 2012, the anti-narcotics force submitted a challan to re-examine the case before the 2013 elections. Because the case remained pending in court, Abbasi was permitted to contest those elections.

In July 2018, Justice Sardar Muhammad Akram delivered a judgment finding Abbasi guilty in the narcotics case. The court imposed a Rs. 1 million fine and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He was arrested within the courtroom and transferred to Central Jail Rawalpindi.

A controversy surfaced on 22 September 2018 regarding his status in custody. A photograph was released showing Abbasi in casual clothing rather than standard jail apparel alongside party leadership and the Central Jail Adiala superintendent. Following this incident, authorities moved him from Central Jail Rawalpindi to Attock Jail.

Health issues affected Abbasi during his period of imprisonment. He reportedly suffered from kidney problems and required medical attention for cardiac concerns. He was transferred to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology in January 2019 and later moved to Shaikh Zayed Hospital in March 2019 for further treatment.

On 11 April 2019, a bench led by Justice Aalia Neelum of the Lahore High Court suspended his sentence. The court noted that all other accused individuals in the case had been acquitted. The ruling stated that certain legal points had not been properly considered during the original proceedings.

Personal life

Abbasi has three children, including one son and two daughters. His son, Hammas Abbasi, is a politician and a businessman who is settled in Dubai. One of his daughters is Dr Areeba Abbasi, who served as a medical officer in the emergency department at Benazir Bhutto Hospital.

Dr Areeba Abbasi resigned from her position at the hospital in 2018. She alleged that her departure was due to political victimization.