Abrar-ul-Haq
Abrar-ul-Haq is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist and singer-songwriter. His debut 1995 album Billo De Ghar sold over 40.3million albums worldwide, which made him a household name and granted him the title of "King of Pakistani Pop". Abrar-ul-Haq is the Founder and Chairman of Sahara for Life Trust, a non-profit charitable organisation that provides health services to the people of Narowal and surrounding areas since 1998. He was Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate for the seat of National Assembly from constituency NA-78 in the 2018 Pakistani general elections. On 15 November 2019, he was appointed Chairman of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society.
Life
Abrar-ul-Haq was born in Faisalabad, Pakistan with roots belonging to Narowal, Pakistan. He completed his Bachelor's degree from Sir Syed College in Rawalpindi. He then completed his Master's degree in Social science from Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad. After that, he started teaching geography at Aitchison College, which is one of the most respected institutes of Pakistan. But he soon realized that singing was his passion and started working on his first album. He started his singing career in 1995 with his debut album Billo De Ghar. The song "Billo de ghar" was the most popular song of that album. With this debut album, he earned a lot of fame. Encouraged by success of first album, he released his second album Majajni in 1998. His third album Bay ja cycle te was released in 1999. His fourth album, Asaan jana mall-o-mall was released in 2002. His fifth album Nachan main audhay nall nall was released in 2004. Abrar-ul-Haq's latest album Naara sadha ishq aey was released in March 2007. Other than music, Abrar-ul-Haq also founded a charitable organisation SAHARA which is an abbreviation of "Services Aimed at Health and Awakening in Remote Areas". Its aim is to promote health and education in remote areas. Abrar-ul-Haq also founded a hospital named "Sugra Shafi Medical Complex" in Narowal. In January 2006, he began the Youth Parliament of Pakistan, a non-political organization that fosters the development of young people. In December 2011, Abrar-ul-Haq then joined the Pakistani political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. He married Hareem Abrar in 2005, he has one son and two daughters.Sahara for Life Trust
Abrar-ul-Haq is the Founder and Chairman of Sahara for Life Trust since its inception in 1998. SLT is a non-profit charitable organisation promoting health and education in remote areas. SAHARA stands for: "Services Aimed at Health and Awakening in Remote Areas". SLT is recognized and registered as a leading charitable organization in Pakistan, U.K & U.S.A. It is also certified by the Pakistan Center for Philanthropy and U.N. SLT has been involved in numerous relief and rehabilitation efforts over the years. In 2003, SLT established its first large-scale general hospital in Narowal, Pakistan. The Sughra Shafi Medical Hospital Complex is a PMDC certified General Hospital that provides a wide range of healthcare services to the people of Narowal and its surrounding areas. The location of this hospital also reduced the travel time for patients in critical condition who were unable to travel to major cities for treatment in a timely manner, saving countless lives. In December 2015, SLT opened their Sahara Medical College doors in Narowal, giving admissions to 100 students for their first graduating class and expanding the Sughra Shafi Medical Hospital Complex into a teaching hospital. In March 2019, Chairman Abrar-ul-Haq announced SLT‘s next project - the Sahara Cancer Hospital in Narowal.Major Projects
- 2003 Sughra Shafi Medical Hospital Complex- Narowal, Pakistan
- 2015 Sahara Medical College- Narowal, Pakistan
- Upcoming Project: Sahara Cancer Hospital- Narowal, Pakistan
Other Projects
- Free Routine Medical Camps- Narowal, Pakistan
- Myanmar Muslims Relief- Bangladesh
- Natural Disasters Relief and Rehabilitation- Pakistan and other affected countries
Honours & Recognition
- Tamgha-e-Imtiaz received by the President of Pakistan on 23 March 2005 for Public Service/Music/Philanthropy.
- Sitara-e-Eisaar received by the President of Pakistan on 30 June 2006 for outstanding humanitarian relief work during the 8 October 2005 devastating earthquake in Pakistan.
- Organization of Islamic Cooperation - Appointed Humanitarian Ambassador of OIC on 11 January 2011.
Political career
Youth Parliament of Pakistan
Youth Parliament of Pakistan- Chairman.The Youth Parliament of Pakistan is a non-profit, non-political and non-religious program that fosters excellence and translates talent in the young people of Pakistan through community service and tangible achievements. Its vision is to empower the young people of Pakistan with the ability to understand their role in society.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
- Senior member.- 2012 PTI President of Youth Wing
- 2013 PTI Secretary of Foreign Affairs
- 2013 PTI Candidate for National Assembly Constituency NA-117 election.
- 2018 PTI Candidate for National Assembly Constituency NA-78 election.
- 2019 - Abrar ul Haq was appointed Pakistan Red Crescent Society’s 16th Chairman on 15 November 2019 and assumed office on 27 December 2019. The three-year appointment was approved by President Dr. Arif Alvi and Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination issued the notification. The PRCS, also known as Hilal Ahmar, is a humanitarian non-profit organization established in 1947 that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness throughout Pakistan.
Discography
Albums
Studio releases
Television
Year | Program | Role | Channel |
2004 | Music Show: Star Host | Himself/host | ATV |
2015 | Ramzan Transmission: Mohabbat Hai Ramzan | Himself/host | A-Plus TV |
2016-17 | Talk Show: Darja-e-Shararat | Himself/host | Samaa TV |
TEDx Talks
Date | Topic | Venue | Location |
2019 | Developing Free Healthcare | TEDx Talks - TMUC | Islamabad, Pakistan |
2019 | Youth in a Nation Building Process | TEDx Talks - Bahria University | Islamabad, Pakistan |