MURREE: People in the constituency of federal minister for petroleum and natural resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in Murree started rejoicing after he was nominated as the interim prime minister on Saturday.

They said it was a historical moment that their MNA was going to become the chief executive of the country.

Mr Abbasi was born on December 27, 1958, in the Dewal village of Murree.

His father, the late Khaqan Abbasi, was an air commodore in Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and later became an MNA in the non-party based election of 1985.

He remained the federal minister for production in the cabinet of the then prime minister Mohammad Khan Junejo till his death in the Ojhri camp accident in 1987.

Mr Abbasi’s only brother, Zahid Abbasi, was injured in the incident and after remaining bedridden died a few years ago.

Mr Abbasi obtained his master’s degree in electrical engineering from the California University about 30 years ago. His sister Barrister Sadia Abbasi was a senator of the PML-N.

Mr Abbasi’s father-in-law, retired General Riaz Abbasi, was the director general of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) from 1977 to 1979.

He was elected to the National Assembly as an independent candidate in 1988 after his father’s death.

After winning the election, Mr Abbasi joined the PML-N.

He won the seat in 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2008 and 2013 and lost it only in 2002. He also remained the PIA chairman from 1997 to 1999.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2017