Hanif Abbasi

Muhammad Hanif Abbasi (born 4 January 1966) is a Pakistani businessman and politician of Pakistan Muslim League (N). He has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since February 2024 and previously served in this position twice from 2002 to 2008 and again from 2008 to 2013.

Early life and education
He was born on 4 January 1966 in Rawalpindi, Punjab, to Muhammad Khalil Abbasi, and he has five brothers and one sister.

Following his early education at the Muslim League High School, Lahore, where he was known for his interest in football and cricket, he later graduated from the Forman Christian College and University of the Punjab.

He has three children, a son, politician Hammas Abbasi, and two daughters, including Dr Areeba Abbasi, who worked as a medical officer at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital's emergency department before quitting in 2018, alleging political victimization.

Political career
In 1977, while still a school student, Abbasi started his political activism.

He started his formal political career as a member of Jamaat-e-Islami but later joined Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) in 2008.

He was first elected as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from NA-56 (Rawalpindi VII) as a candidate of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and defeated Sheikh Rashid Ahmad's nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafique in the 2002 by-elections.

In 2008 Pakistani general election, Abbasi joined the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) and was again elected as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from NA-56 (Rawalpindi VII) on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) and defeated former Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad by bagging 73,433 votes.

In 2013 Pakistani general election, he again contested election from NA-56 (Rawalpindi VII) as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) and was defeated after taking 67,169 votes against Imran Khan who obtained 80,425 votes.

In 2018 Pakistani general election, he was the nominated candidate from NA-60 (Rawalpindi-IV) on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N), however, he was disqualified and sentenced for a lifetime in the narcotics case.

In April 2018, he was arrested in ephedrine quota case by anti-narcotics force and sentenced to prison for life by the court. However, on April 11, 2019, a bench comprising Justice Aalia Neelum of the Lahore High Court suspended the sentence, the court maintained that all other accused in the case were acquitted and all legal points were not considered during the case.

Disqualification
An F.I.R. was registered against Abbasi in June 2012 for misuse of 500 k.g. of the controlled drug ephedrine obtained for his pharmaceutical company, Gray Pharmaceutical, in 2010. In November 2012, Abbasi was granted bail from the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench, however, just before election 2013, antinarcotic force submitted a challan to relook into the case before Abbasi can contest elections. However, Abbasi was allowed to contest election 2013, since his case was pending in the court. On July, 2018, Justice Sardar Muhammad Akram, announced the judgment, in which he was found guilty in narcotics, imposing Rs. 1 million and lifetime imprisonment. He was arrested from the courts room and was shifted to Central Jail Rawalpindi. On September 22, 2018, a scandal surfaced when Abbasi's picture was released from jail in a casual dress instead of Jail's apparel with his party leadership in Central Jail Adiala superintendent, after which he was shifted to Attock Jail from Central Jail Rawalpindi. Abbasi experienced bad health during his imprisonment, reportedly he had kidney problems He was shifted to Punjab Institute of Cardiology in January 2019 for cardiac procedures and in March, 2019 to Shaikh Zayed Hospital for his kidney and cardiac problems.

On April 11, 2019, a bench comprising Justice Aalia Neelum of the Lahore High Court suspended the sentence, the court maintained that all other accused in the case were acquitted and all legal points were not considered during the case.