🇵🇰 Pakistan
Federal republic, parliamentary republicElectoral autocracy
Shehbaz Sharif
Prime Minister · 1,650 days in office
How the political system works in Pakistan
Pakistan is governed as a federal republic with a parliamentary republic. Its prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has led the country since Apr 11, 2022. Pakistan has had 20 prime ministers since 1947. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral autocracy.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Nawaz Sharif
3,375 days · 3 terms
Shortest-serving
Ayub Khan
4 days
Average tenure
796 days
Shehbaz Sharif: 107% above average
Female leaders
1 of 20
First: Benazir Bhutto (1988)
Recent prime ministers by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in Pakistan?
Across 23 completed terms, the average prime minister of Pakistan has served 796 days (about 2.2 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 782 days.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All prime ministers of Pakistan
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 |  Shehbaz Sharif | Mar 3, 2024 | Incumbent | 958 |
| 23 | Shehbaz Sharif | Apr 11, 2022 | Aug 13, 2023 | 489 |
| 22 |  Imran Khan | Aug 18, 2018 | Apr 10, 2022 | 1,331 |
| 21 |  Shahid Khaqan Abbasi | Aug 1, 2017 | May 31, 2018 | 303 |
| 20 |  Nawaz Sharif | Jun 5, 2013 | Jul 28, 2017 | 1,514 |
| 19 |  Raja Pervez Ashraf | Jun 22, 2012 | Mar 24, 2013 | 275 |
| 18 |  Yusuf Raza Gilani | Mar 24, 2008 | Jun 19, 2012 | 1,548 |
| 17 |  Shaukat Aziz | Aug 20, 2004 | Nov 15, 2007 | 1,182 |
| 16 |  Shujaat Hussain | Jun 30, 2004 | Aug 20, 2004 | 51 |
| 15 |  Zafarullah Khan Jamali | Nov 23, 2002 | Jun 26, 2004 | 581 |
| 14 |  Pervez Musharraf | Oct 12, 1999 | Nov 21, 2002 | 1,136 |
| 13 | Nawaz Sharif | Feb 17, 1997 | Oct 12, 1999 | 967 |
| 12 |  Benazir Bhutto | Oct 19, 1993 | Nov 5, 1996 | 1,113 |
| 11 | Nawaz Sharif | Nov 6, 1990 | Apr 18, 1993 | 894 |
| 10 | Benazir Bhutto | Dec 2, 1988 | Aug 6, 1990 | 612 |
| 9 |  Muhammad Junejo | Mar 24, 1985 | May 29, 1988 | 1,162 |
| 8 |  Zulfikar Ali Bhutto | Aug 14, 1973 | Jul 5, 1977 | 1,421 |
| 7 |  Nurul Amin | Dec 7, 1971 | Dec 20, 1971 | 13 |
| 6 |  Ayub Khan | Oct 24, 1958 | Oct 28, 1958 | 4 |
| 5 |  Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy | Sep 12, 1956 | Oct 17, 1957 | 400 |
| 4 |  Chaudhry Muhammad Ali | Aug 12, 1955 | Sep 12, 1956 | 397 |
| 3 |  Muhammad Ali Bogra | Apr 17, 1953 | Aug 12, 1955 | 847 |
| 2 |  Khawaja Nazimuddin | Oct 17, 1951 | Apr 17, 1953 | 548 |
| 1 |  Liaquat Ali Khan | Aug 15, 1947 | Oct 16, 1951 | 1,523 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the Prime Minister of Pakistan?
- Shehbaz Sharif has been Prime Minister of Pakistan since Apr 11, 2022.
- How is the leader of Pakistan chosen?
- Pakistan is governed as a federal republic with a parliamentary republic. Its prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has led the country since Apr 11, 2022. Pakistan has had 20 prime ministers since 1947. Under the Regimes of the World classification, it counts as an electoral autocracy.
- Who is the longest-serving Prime Minister of Pakistan?
- Nawaz Sharif, with 3,375 days in office across 3 terms.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in Pakistan?
- Across 23 completed terms, the average prime minister of Pakistan has served 796 days (about 2.2 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 782 days.
- Has Pakistan ever had a female prime minister?
- Yes. Pakistan has had 1 female prime minister. The first was Benazir Bhutto, who took office in 1988.