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As Shehbaz Sharif government completes term, a history of past Pakistani PM's tenures

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif leaves after a group photo with lawmakers of the National Assembly at the end of the last session of the current parliament, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on August 9, 2023. (AP)
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Updated 10 August 2023
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As Shehbaz Sharif government completes term, a history of past Pakistani PM's tenures

  • Pakistan, a parliamentary democracy for most of its history, has had a total of 30 prime ministers since 1947
  • When Imran Khan was ousted last April, he was one in a long line of Pakistani PMs sent home before their time
Updated 10 August 2023
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: When Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a no-confidence vote in parliament last April, he was one in a long line of Pakistani premiers who went home before their time.

In fact, no prime minister had at that point completed a full five-year tenure in Pakistan’s 75-year history. Today, with the assemblies dissolved, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was voted in by parliament on April 12 days after Khan's ouster, became the first Pakistani PM to complete his term, albeit a shorter one of just 16 months.

Pakistan, a parliamentary democracy for most of its history, has had a total of 30 prime ministers since 1947 - one of whom took on the role twice in one year.

On 18 occasions, they have been removed on different pretexts, including corruption charges, direct military coups and forced resignations due to infighting in ruling groups. There was one assassination.

The remaining premiers held the position for a limited time as caretakers to oversee fresh elections or to see out a dismissed premier’s tenure.

The year 1993 was particularly fraught, with five changes in the premiership.

The shortest tenure for a prime minister is two weeks, while the longest is four years and two months.

Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has been elected prime minister three times - in 1990, 1997 and 2013 - the most for a single candidate.

Following is a list of prime ministers whose tenures ended prematurely since 1947. It does not include caretaker premiers or those who completed another prime minister’s term:

  • Liaquat Ali Khan

Pakistan’s first prime minister. Took office in August 1947. He was assassinated at a political rally on Oct. 16, 1951.

Tenure: Four years and two months.

  • Khawaja Nazimuddin

Took office on Oct. 17, 1951. He was dismissed on April 17, 1953, by the country’s governor general - a powerful position inherited from British colonial rule - on charges of mismanaging religious riots.

Tenure: One year and six months.

  • Muhammad Ali Bogra

Took office April 17, 1953. Resigned on Aug. 11, 1955.

Tenure: Two years and three months.

  • Chaudhri Mohammad Ali

Took office in August 1955. Internal differences in the ruling party led to his ouster on Sept. 12, 1956.

Tenure: One year and one month.

  • Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy

Took office on Sept. 12, 1956. Forced from office after differences with other power centres on Oct. 18, 1957.

Tenure: One year and one month.

  • Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar

Took office in October 1957. Resigned on Dec. 16, 1957, faced with a no-confidence vote in parliament.

Tenure: Less than two months.

  • Malik Feroz Khan Noon

Took office Dec. 16, 1957. Dismissed due to the imposition of martial law in Pakistan on Oct. 7, 1958.

Tenure: Less than 10 months.

  • Noorul Amin

Took office Dec. 7, 1971. Left office on Dec. 20, 1971, shortly after the secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan.

Tenure: Less than two weeks.

  • Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Took office on Aug. 14, 1973. He was overthrown by a military coup on July 5, 1977, and eventually jailed and executed.

Tenure: Three years and 11 months.

  • Muhammad Khan Junejo

Took office in March 1985. He was dismissed on May 29, 1988, by the military chief who was also the president.

Tenure: Three years and two months.

  • Benazir Bhutto

Daughter of slain premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the first woman leader of a Muslim nation. Took office on Dec. 2, 1988. Her government was dismissed on Aug. 6, 1990, by the president, a close aid of the deceased military ruler, on charges of corruption.

Tenure: One year and eight months.

It would be the first of three governments dismissed on similar charges using the sweeping powers of the president.

  • Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif

Took office Nov. 6, 1990. His government was also dismissed by the president on similar charges as Bhutto on April 18, 1993.

He was able to get the decision overturned by the courts a few weeks later and returned to office, but resigned again after differences with the military.

Total tenure: Two years and seven months.

  • Benazir Bhutto

Returned to power for her second tenure in Oct. 19, 1993. Was dismissed by the president once again on charges of misgovernance on Nov. 5, 1996.

Tenure: Just over three years.

  • Nawaz Sharif

Came to power a second time on Feb. 17, 1997. Overthrown by a military coup - the third in Pakistan’s history - on Oct. 12, 1999.

Tenure: Two years and eight months.

  • Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali

Elected prime minister during military rule in November 2002. He resigned after differences with the military on June 26, 2004.

Tenure: One year and seven months.

  • Yousaf Raza Gilani

Elected prime minister on March 25, 2008. He was disqualified by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2012 on charges of “contempt of court”.

Tenure: Four years and one month.

  • Nawaz Sharif

Elected prime minister for a third time on June 5, 2013. He was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on charges of concealing assets on July 28, 2017.

Tenure: Four years and two months.

  • Imran Khan

Elected as prime minister on Aug. 18, 2018. Voted out of power via a no-confidence motion by the opposition on April 10, 2022.

Tenure: Three years and seven months.

  • Shehbaz Sharif

Elected as prime minister on April 12, 2022. Stepped down after completing term on August 12. 

Tenure: One year and four months.

With inputs from Reuters 

Topics: Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif

Gunmen abduct judge in Pakistan’s northwest amid surge in militant violence

Updated 6 sec ago
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Gunmen abduct judge in Pakistan’s northwest amid surge in militant violence

  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister says ‘emergency measures’ must be taken to bring back the judge
  • Police say a heavy contingent has gone to the area to gather evidence and identify the armed men
Updated 6 sec ago
REHMAT MEHSUD

PESHAWAR: Unidentified gunmen abducted a district and sessions court judge in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Saturday as he was traveling from his hometown of Tank to the southern Dera Ismail Khan district, according to a police official.
The incident has alarmed the legal community and coincides with a resurgence of militant violence in KP and Balochistan provinces, following the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’s termination of a fragile truce with the government in November 2022.
“Shakirullah Marwat, the district and sessions judge in South Waziristan, was kidnapped near Bagwal, a dusty town between Tank and Dera Ismail Khan,” said Muhammad Ibrahim, a police spokesman. “The kidnappers released Marwat’s driver but took the judge with them.”
Ibrahim added that a heavy police contingent was dispatched to the area immediately after the incident to collect evidence and search for the armed men.
Earlier this month, an attack in Dera Ismail Khan resulted in the death of six people, including five customs department officials, with another person wounded when gunmen targeted their vehicle.
Shah Fahad Ansari, a high court advocate and the divisional president for the People Lawyers’ Forum, condemned the abduction, saying that courts across the region should be locked down in protest to draw attention to the deteriorating law and order situation.
“The provincial government has completely failed to maintain security in the area,” Ansari added. “You can imagine the sense of insecurity among people at a time when the state cannot even protect its judges.”
Reacting to the development, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur instructed the police to ensure the safe recovery of the judge.
“Emergency measures must be taken to recover the judge, and all available resources should be utilized for this purpose,” he said in a statement.
Gandapur maintained the people who were behind the incident would not be able to escape the law.
The recent weeks have also seen attacks on police officials in KP.
Earlier this month, a policeman was shot dead in North Waziristan. In related incidents, an official from the provincial counterterrorism department and a senior cleric affiliated with the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam religious party were fatally shot in target killings in the area.
While no group has claimed responsibility for these attacks, suspicion has fallen on the TTP, whose leadership is said to be based in neighboring Afghanistan.
The Afghan deputy interior minister, Mohammad Nabi Omari, urged Pakistan and the banned militant network to resume negotiations earlier this month, but Pakistani authorities rejected this idea, calling on the administration in Kabul to act against militants operating from its soil.

‘The audacity’: German envoy’s speech disrupted by pro-Palestinian protester at Lahore rights conference

Updated 27 April 2024
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‘The audacity’: German envoy’s speech disrupted by pro-Palestinian protester at Lahore rights conference

  • Ambassador Grannas was speaking on safeguarding civil rights in South Asia when his speech was interrupted
  • The protester said Germany was ‘brutally abusing’ those speaking in favor of the rights of Palestinian people
Updated 27 April 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: German Ambassador to Pakistan Alfred Grannas was challenged by a pro-Palestine protester on Saturday shortly after he began his speech on safeguarding civil rights in South Asia at a high-profile conference held in the eastern city of Lahore.
Germany has clearly sided with Israel since the beginning of the war in Gaza after a surprise attack was launched by Hamas on Oct. 7 as a response to the deteriorating Palestinian condition living under Israeli occupation.
The conflict, which has led to the killing of over 34,000 Palestinians, has led to widespread criticism of the Israeli government, leading to protests in different parts of the world.
While countries like South Africa have accused the Jewish state of committing genocide in Gaza, authorities in Germany have forcibly removed protest encampments and gone into people’s houses to arrest them for critical social media posts on charges of antisemitism.
“I am shocked by the audacity that you are here to talk about civil rights while your country is brutally abusing the people speaking for the rights of the Palestinians,” the young protester standing at the back of the hall shouted at him.
Many people around him supported him by shouting “Free, Free Palestine” and “From the River to the Sea.”
The German envoy, who looked visibly agitated by the development, responded by shouting back and pointing to the exit.
“If you, if you want to shout, go out,” he said. “There you can shout. Because shouting is not a discussion.”
The incident happened at the Asma Jahangir Conference that focuses on dialogue and advocacy for human rights issues in Pakistan and its broader neighborhood.
Last year in November, a Pakistani classical dancer and human rights activist Sheema Kermani raised slogans for a ceasefire at a British Deputy High Commission event in Karachi and later complained of being “escorted out.”

Topics: War on Gaza Pakistan Palestine

Pakistan PM leaves for Riyadh to attend World Economic Forum meeting

Updated 27 April 2024
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Pakistan PM leaves for Riyadh to attend World Economic Forum meeting

  • PM Sharif is expected to discuss inclusive growth, regional collaboration and energy issues at the gathering
  • He will also attend the Islamic Summit Conference in Gambia on May 4 to discuss Islamophobia and Palestine
Updated 27 April 2024
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for Riyadh on Saturday to attend a two-day special meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The WEF special meeting on global collaboration, growth and energy will be held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on April 28-29, according to PM Sharif’s office.
The prime minister was extended an invitation to attend the meeting by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Professor Klaus Schwab, the WEF executive chairman.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has left for Saudi Arabia to attend the special World Economic Forum meeting,” said an official statement circulated in Islamabad.
Prior to his departure, the PM Office said Sharif would be accompanied by a high-level delegation including foreign minister Ishaq Dar and finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
“The Prime Minister and the Ministers will participate in WEF discussions on issues related to trade and investment measures, new investment frameworks, restructuring of supply chains, sustainable growth, and the energy landscape,” it added.
Sharif’s participation in the forum will afford Pakistan an opportunity to highlight its priorities in global health architecture, inclusive growth, revitalizing regional collaboration, and the need for striking a balance between promoting growth and energy consumption.
“On the margins of the main event, the Prime Minister and his delegation will hold bilateral meetings with world leaders, including the Saudi leadership, heads of international organizations, and other prominent figures participating in the event,” the statement added.
The prime minister will also attend the 15th session of the Islamic Summit Conference organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on May 4-5 in the Gambian capital of Banjul to discuss a variety of regional and global issues, including Palestine, Islamophobia, climate change and the status of minorities, the Pakistani state-run APP news agency reported.
The session will be held under the slogan “Enhancing Unity and Solidarity through Dialogue for Sustainable Development,” according to a press release issued by the OIC General Secretariat.
The Islamic Summit is a principal organ of the OIC focused on the formulation, development, and implementation of decisions made by 57 member states. It is attended by concerned heads of state such as prime ministers, presidents, emirs and other equivalent heads.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties World Economic Forum

Pakistan to set up special force for security of foreign nationals in Islamabad

Updated 27 April 2024
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Pakistan to set up special force for security of foreign nationals in Islamabad

  • The development came days after a suicide attack targeted a van carrying Japanese nationals in Karachi
  • It followed similar attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan’s northwestern and southwestern regions
Updated 27 April 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to establish a special force for the security of foreigners, Pakistani state media reported on Saturday, days after militant attacks targeted foreign nationals in the South Asian country.

The decision was made at a meeting presided over by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to review the law-and-order situation in the federal capital territory.

The development came days after a suicide attack targeted a van carrying Japanese nationals, who were on their way to work in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi.

During the meeting, the interior minister directed authorities to ensure foolproof security of foreign nationals in Islamabad, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

“Special attention should be given to the security of all important offices and places including the red zone in Islamabad,” the report read.

During the meeting, Islamabad police chief, Ali Nasir Rizvi, also gave a detailed briefing on the law-and-order situation in the capital.

Pakistan has witnessed militant attacks on foreign nationals in recent months, particularly the Chinese working in Pakistan on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major segment of Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

Late last month, five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in northwest Pakistan, when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the bus carrying them to Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, where they worked.

The attack came less than a week after Pakistani security forces killed eight Balochistan Liberation Army separatists who opened fire on a convoy carrying Chinese citizens outside the Chinese-funded Gwadar port in the volatile southwestern Balochistan province.

Topics: Mohsin Naqvi special force Security force

Pakistan face New Zealand in 5th T20, aim to end series on positive note

Updated 27 April 2024
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Pakistan face New Zealand in 5th T20, aim to end series on positive note

  • Two earlier defeats came as a jolt to full-strength Pakistan in their preparations for T20 World Cup
  • New Zealand, missing a host of players, are likely to draw confidence from the wins against Pakistan
Updated 27 April 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be facing New Zealand in Lahore today, Saturday, in the final Twenty20 of their five-match series, Pakistani state media reported.

Pakistan have already lost the chance of clinching the series as the Babar Azam-led side trail the series 1-2, with the first game washed away by rain.

The ‘Green Shirts’ are looking to level the series with a win today.

“The match will start at 7:30 in evening,” the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

The defeats came as a jolt to a full-strength Pakistan side in their preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in the United States and West Indies in June.

New Zealand, missing a host of players due to the Indian Premier League, injuries and unavailability, are likely to draw confidence from their strength in depth going into the World Cup.

Topics: Pakistan vs New Zealand

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