Prime Minister’s post was created at the time of Pakistan’s independence. Since the post of Governor-General had not been abolished permanently at the beginning, Prime Minister initially did not have all executive powers. After the assassination of Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951, there came seven different Prime Ministers within a period of six years and all of them were from Muslims League except Sir Feroz Khan Noon, who was from the Republican Party.

Then after the coup d’état from General Ayub Khan, Prime Minister’s post was abolished for a period of 13 years and 2 months up till 1971. There was a very short period of recreation of the post when Nurul Amin was appointed Prime Minister for merely 13 days and alongside him, General Yahya Khan also illegally made both Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mujibur Rehman Vice Prime Ministers, but they never acquired these positions.

Subsequently, the posts had been abolished four more times, all when the military take over occurred. Currently, under the 18th Amendment passed in 2010, Prime Minister is the head of the state of Pakistan and holds more power than any other government official, including the President. Here is the complete list of Prime Ministers of Pakistan since 1947.

 

1. Liaquat Ali Khan (1896 – 1951)

In Office: 14 August 1947 – 16 October 1951

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Muslim League

Total Duration: 4 Years, 2 Months, 2 Days

 

2. Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin (1894 – 1964)

In Office: 17 October 1951 – 17 April 1953

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Muslim League

Total Duration: 2 Years exactly

 

3. Muhammad Ali Bogra (1909 – 1963)

In Office: 17 April 1953 – 12 August 1955

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Muslim League

Total Duration: 2 Years, 2 Months, 26 Days

 

4. Chaudhry Muhammad Ali (1905 – 1980)

In Office: 12 August 1955 – 12 September 1956

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Muslim League

Total Duration: 1 Year, 1 Month exactly

 

5. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (1892 – 1963)

In Office: 12 September 1956 – 17 October 1957

Status: Elected democractically

Political Party: Awami League

Total Duration: 1 Year, 1 Month, 5 Days

 

6. Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar (1898 – 1968)

In Office: 17 October 1957 – 16 December 1957

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Muslim League

Total Duration: 1 Month, 29 Days

 

7. Sir Feroz Khan Noon (1893 – 1970)

In Office: 16 December 1957 – 7 October 1958

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Republican Party

Total Duration: 9 Months, 21 Days

 

Post Abolished: 7 October 1958 – 7 December 1971

Total Duration of Abolishment: 13 Years, 2 Months exactly

 

8. Nurul Amin (1893 – 1974)

In Office: 7 December 1971 – 20 December 1971

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League

Total Duration: 13 Days Only

 

Post Abolished: 20 December 1971 – 14 August 1973

Total Duration of Abolishment: 1 Year, 7 Months, 25 Days

 

9. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1928 – 1979)

In Office: 14 August 1973 – 5 July 1977

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Pakistan Peoples Party

Total Duration: 3 Years, 10 Months, 21 Days

 

Post Abolished: 5 July 1977 – 24 March 1985

Total Duration of Abolishment: 7 Years, 8 Months, 19 Days

 

10. Muhammad Khan Junejo (1932 – 1993)

In Office: 24 March 1985 – 29 May 1988

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Independent; Pakistan Muslim League

Total Duration: 3 Years, 2 Months, 5 Days

 

Post Abolished: 29 May 1988 – 2 December 1988

Total Duration of Abolishment: 6 Months, 3 Days

 

11. Benazir Bhutto (1953 – 2007)

In Office: 2 December 1988 – 6 August 1990

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Pakistan Peoples Party

Total Duration: 1 Year, 8 Months, 4 Days

 

  • Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi (1931 – 2009)

In Office: 6 August 1990 – 6 November 1990

Status: Caretaker/Acting

Political Party: None

Total Duration: 3 Months exactly

 

12. Nawaz Sharif (Born 1949)

In Office: 6 November 1990 – 18 April 1993

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (N), Islami Jamhoori Ittehad *changed later

Total Duration: 2 Years, 5 Months, 12 Days

 

  • Balakh Sher Mazari (Born 1928)

In Office: 18 April 1993 – 26 May 1993

Status: Caretaker/Acting

Political Party: None

Total Duration: 1 Month, 8 Days

 

Nawaz’s Second Term:

In Office: 26 May 1993 – 18 July 1993

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (N)

Total Duration: 1 Month, 22 Days

 

  • Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi (Born 1930)

In Office: 18 July 1993 – 19 October 1993

Status: Caretaker/Acting

Political Party: None

Total Duration: 3 Months, 1 Day exactly

 

13. Benazir’s Second Term:

In Office: 19 October 1993 – 5 November 1996

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Pakistan Peoples Party

Total Duration: 3 Years, 17 Days

 

  • Malik Meraj Khalid (1916 – 2003)

In Office: 5 November 1996 – 17 February 1997

Status: Caretaker/Acting

Political Party: None

Total Duration: 3 Months, 12 Days

 

14. Nawaz’s Third Term:

In Office: 17 February 1997 – 12 October 1999

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (N)

Total Duration: 2 Years, 7 Months, 23 Days

 

Post Abolished: 12 October 1999 – 20 November 2002

Total Duration of Abolishment: 3 Years, 1 Month, 8 Days

 

15. Zafarullah Khan Jamali (Born 1944)

In Office: 21 November 2002 – 26 June 2004

Status: Acting/Appointed by the President

Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (Q)

Total Duration: 1 Year, 7 Months, 5 Days

 

16. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (Born 1946)

In Office: 30 June 2004 – 20 August 2004

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (Q)

Total Duration: 1 Month, 21 Days

 

17. Shaukat Aziz (Born 1949)

In Office: 20 August 2004 – 16 November 2007

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (Q)

Total Duration: 3 Years, 2 Months, 27 Days

 

  • Muhammad Mian Soomro (Born 1950)

In Office: 16 November 2007 – 25 March 2008

Status: Caretaker/Acting

Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (Q)

Total Duration: 4 Months, 9 Days

 

18. Yousaf Raza Gillani (Born 1952)

In Office: 25 March 2008 – 19 June 2012

Status: Elected democratically

Political Party: Pakistan Peoples Party

Total Duration: 4 Years, 2 Months, 25 Days

 

19. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (1950)

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Office: 22 June 2012 – 25 March 2013

Status: Assumed Prime Minister’s role when his predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gilani was disqualified by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on contempt of court charges.

Political Party: Pakistan People’s Party

Total Duration: 9 Months, 3 Days

 

  • Mir Hazar Khan Khoso (1929)
Mir Hazar Khan Khoso

Mir Hazar Khan Khoso

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Office: 25 March 2013 – 4 June 2013

Status: Caretaker Prime Minister.

Political Party: Independent

Total Duration: 2 Months, 10 Days

 

20. Mian Muhammad Nazwaz Sharif (1949)

Mian Nawaz Sharif

Mian Nawaz Sharif

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Office: 5 June 2013 – 28 July 2017

Status: Elected Prime Minister.

Political Party: Muslim League (N)

Total Duration: 4 years, 1 month, 23 days

 

21. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (1958)

In Office: 1 August 2017 – 31 May 2018

Status: Caretaker Prime Minister.

Political Party: Muslim League (N)

Total Duration: Parliament elected as the PM and to serve a 50-day period.

 

  • Nasirul Mulk (1950)

In Office: 1 June 2018 – 18 August 2018

Status: Caretaker/Acting

Political Party: None

Total Duration: 2 Months, 18 Days

 

22. Imran Khan (1952)

In Office: 18 August 2018 – continued

Status: Elected Prime Minister

Political Party: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

Total Duration: Counting

  • Longest Time Served by a Prime Minister:  Yousuf Raza Gilani  (4 Years, 2 Months, 25 Days).                        Previously,  Liaquat Ali Khan served the longest time as Prime Minister (4 Years, 2 Months, 2 Days).  After aggregating Nawaz Sharif’s three terms, his duration totals up to 4 years, 13 months and 57 days or 5 years, 2 month and 27 days. After aggregating Benazir Bhutto’s two terms, her duration totals up to 4 years, 8 months and 21 days. Thus both Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto are the longest non-consecutively serving prime ministers.
  • Shortest Time Served by a Prime Minister: Nurul Amin (13 Days) during 1971 Bangladesh-Pakistan War
  • Political Party Having the Most Number of Serving Prime Ministers: 5 from Muslim League
  • Total Duration of Prime Ministers from Muslim League: 9 Years, 6 Months, 57 Days or in aggregation 9 Years, 7 Months, 27 Days
  • Total Duration of Democratic Prime Ministers: 30 Years, 51 Months, 254 Days or in aggregation 34 Years, 11 Months, 14 Days
  • Number of Times Prime Minister’s Post Abolished: 5 Times
  • Total Duration of the Post Abolishment: 24 Years, 24 Months, 53 Days or in aggregation 26 Years, 1 Month, 23 Days
  • Longest Post Abolishment Period: 13 Years, 2 Months during Zia-ul-Haq’s dictatorship
  • Shortest Post Abolishment Period: 6 Months, 3 Days after the death of Zia-ul-Haq
  • Number of Times Caretakers Came: 6 Times
  • Longest Time Served by a Caretaker: Muhammad Mian Soomro (4 Months, 9 Days)
  • Shortest Time Served by a Caretaker: Balakh Sher Mazari (1 Month, 8 Days)
  • Total Duration of Caretakers’ Terms: 17 Months, 10 Days or in aggregation 1 Year, 5 Months and 10 days.

Stats updated by: PakWired.com