Abbasi started his political career as a member of Jamaat-e-Islami but later joined Pakistan Muslim League in 2008. He was first elected as a member of the NationalAssembly of Pakistan from NA-56 as a candidate of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and defeated Sheikh Rashid Ahmad nephew, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq in the 2002 by-elections. In 2008 Pakistani general election, Abbasi joined the Pakistan Muslim League and was again elected as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from NA-56 on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League and defeated former Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad by bagging 73,433 votes. In 2013 Pakistani general election, he again contested election from NA-56 as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League 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 on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League , however, he was disqualified and sentenced for a lifetime in the narcotics 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. On November 2012, Abbasi was granted bail from the Lahore High Court 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.
