Haji Nasim Ur Rehman is a prominent industrialist and politician from Mardan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

. He is a member of the Awami National Party

Awami National Party

The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...

 and is a close friend of Asfandyar Wali Khan

Asfandyar Wali Khan

Asfandyar Wali Khan is a democratic socialist and the current the President of the Awami National Party in Pakistan.His father, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, was the party's first President...

, President of ANP. He successfully contested the 1997 elections for the National Assembly from NA-7 Mardan constituency and became a Member of Parliament (MP). He also holds the life membership of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is also the Chief Executive of Saleem Group of Industries.

Mr. Rehman contested the February 18, 2008 general elections for the National Assembly seat NA-11 Mardan 3 from the platform of Awami National Party

Awami National Party

The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...

. This was Mr. Rehman's first attempt to be elected from another constituency. Mr. Rehman's native constituency has been NA-9 Mardan 1. He lost the contest to Mr. Abdul Akbar Khan of the Pakistan People's Party. Mr. Rehman was expected to be given an important role in the government had he been elected. He has previously been recommended for the position of the Governor of NWFP Province which he declined.

Life and Family

Mr. Rehman had joined his family business at a young age and was very successful with his work. With his assistance, the Saleem Group of Industries, named after his late brother, was created and the business became famous for its cigarette manufacturing. Different companies of the group had employed thousands of youth of the district; however, soon after the military take over of the government in October 1999 his business was targeted by the government due to its vendetta towards the family. His businesses were closed down and he was charged and punished in absentia for tax evasion and corruption. He evaded arrest from 1999 until 2004 when he was formally acquitted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan

Supreme Court of Pakistan

The Supreme Court is the apex court in Pakistan's judicial hierarchy, the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes. The Supreme Court has a permanent seat in Islamabad. It has number of Branch Registries where cases are heard. It has a number of de jure powers which are outlined in the...

which proved his innocence.