List of heads of state of Pakistan
 |
|---|
 Pakistan portal
|
This is a list of the heads of state of Pakistan, from the foundation of Pakistan in 1947 to the present day. The current head of state of Pakistan is Arif Alvi, elected in 2018 after being nominated by PTI, the party run by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
From 1947 to 1956 the head of state was the Pakistani monarch, who was the same person as the monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The Monarch was represented in Pakistan by the Governor-General. Pakistan became a republic under the Constitution of 1956 and the Monarch and Governor-General were replaced by a ceremonial President.
Monarch (1947–1956)[]
The succession to the throne of Pakistan was the same as the succession to the British throne.
| No. | Portrait | Monarch (Birth–Death) |
Reign | Duration | Prime Ministers | House | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | Days | Years, days | |||||
| 1 | 
|
King George VI (1895–1952) |
14 August 1947 | 6 February 1952 | 1637 | 4 years, 176 days | Khan | Windsor |
| Nazimuddin | ||||||||
| 2 | 
|
Queen Elizabeth II (1926–) |
6 February 1952 | 23 March 1956 | 1507 | 4 years, 46 days | ||
| Bogra | ||||||||
| Ali | ||||||||
Governors-General[]
The Governor-General was the representative of the monarch in Pakistan and exercised most of the powers of the monarch. The Governor-General was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the monarch. After the passage of the Statute of Westminster 1931, the Governor-General was appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of Pakistan without the involvement of the British government. In the event of a vacancy the Chief Justice served as Officer Administering the Government.
| List of Governors-General of Pakistan | |||||
| No. | Picture | Name (birth–death) |
Took office | Left office | Monarch of Pakistan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
(1876–1948) |
14 August 1947[a] | 11 September 1948
(died in office) |
George VI |
| 2 | 
|
Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin
(1894–1964) |
14 September 1948[b] | 17 October 1951
(became prime minister) | |
| 3 | 
|
Sir Ghulam Muhammad
(1895–1956) |
17 October 1951[c] | 7 August 1955
(dismissed) | |
Elizabeth II | |||||
| 4 | 
|
Iskander Mirza
(1899–1969) |
7 August 1955[d] | 23 March 1956
(became president) | |
Timeline[]
Key[]
| Party name | |
|---|---|
| Republican Party | |
| Muslim League (C) | |
| Armed Forces | |
| Independent | |
| Muslim League (Q) | |
| Peoples Party | |
| Muslim League (N) | |
| Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf |
First Republic (1956–)[]
Under the 1956 Constitution, the first constitution of the Republic of Pakistan, the President replaced the monarch as ceremonial head of state. The President was elected by the Electoral College for a five-year term. In the event of a vacancy the Speaker of the National Assembly served as Acting President.
List of presidents of Pakistan[]
| No | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Took office | Left office | Elections | Political party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Iskander Mirza (1899–1969) |
23 March 1956 | 27 October 1958 | , | Republican Party |
| 2 | 
|
Ayub Khan (1907–1974) | 27 October 1958 | 8 June 1962 | 1958 Pakistani coup d'état | — |
| (2) | 8 June 1962 | 29 November 1963 | 2 January 1965 | Pakistan Muslim League (C) | ||
| — | 
|
Fazlul Qadir Chaudhry (1919–1973) Acting |
29 November 1963 | 12 June 1965 | 29 November 1963 | Pakistan Muslim League (C) |
| (2) |
|
Ayub Khan (1907–1974) |
12 June 1965 | 31 March 1969 | 1965 | Pakistan Muslim League (C) |
| 3 | 
|
Yahya Khan (1917–1980) |
31 March 1969 | 20 December 1971 | — | — |
| 4 | 
|
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1928–1979) |
20 December 1971 | 13 August 1973 | 1970 | Pakistan Peoples Party |
| 5 | 
|
Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry (1904–1982) |
14 August 1973 | 20 April 1978 | 1977 | Pakistan Peoples Party |
| — |
|
Sheikh Anwarul Haq (1917–1995) Acting |
20 April 1978 | 7 May 1978 | 14 August 1973 | Pakistan Peoples Party |
| (5) |
|
Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry (1904–1982) |
7 May 1978 | 16 September 1978 | 14 August 1973 | Pakistan Peoples Party |
| 6 | 
|
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (1924–1988) |
16 September 1978 | 17 August 1988 | 1985 | — |
| 7 | 
|
Ghulam Ishaq Khan (1915–2006) |
17 August 1988 | 18 July 1993 | 1988 , | Independent |
| — |
|
Wasim Sajjad (1941– ) Acting |
18 July 1993 | 14 November 1993 | 1993 |
Pakistan Muslim League (N) |
| 8 | 
|
Farooq Leghari (1940–2010) |
14 November 1993 | 2 December 1997 | 14 November 1993 | Pakistan Peoples Party |
| — |
|
Wasim Sajjad (1941– ) Acting |
27 December 1997 | 1 January 1998 | 1997 | Pakistan Muslim League (N) |
| 9 | 
|
Muhammad Rafiq Tarar (1929–) |
1 January 1998 | 20 June 2001 | 31 December 1997 1999 Pakistani coup d'état | Pakistan Muslim League (N) |
| 10 | 
|
Pervez Musharraf (1943– ) |
20 June 2001 | 6 October 2007 | 1 January 2004 | — |
| (10) | 6 October 2007 | 18 August 2008 | 6 October 2007 | Pakistan Muslim League (Q) | ||
| — | 
|
Muhammad Mian Soomro (1950– ) Acting |
18 August 2008 | 9 September 2008 | — | Pakistan Muslim League (N) |
| 11 | 
|
Asif Ali Zardari (1955– ) |
9 September 2008 | 9 September 2013 | 6 September 2008 | Pakistan Peoples Party |
| 12 | 
|
Mamnoon Hussain (1940– 2021) |
9 September 2013 | 9 September 2018 | 30 July 2013 | Pakistan Muslim League (N) |
| 13 | 
|
Dr. Arif Alvi (1949– ) |
9 September 2018 | Incumbent (Term ends on 9 September 2023) |
4 September 2018 | Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf |
Notes[]
- ^ Appointed by the King George VI[1]
- ^ Recommended by Liaqat Ali Khan to King George VI[2]
- ^ Recommended by Khawaja Nazimuddin to King George VI[3]
- ^ Recommended by Mohammad Ali Bogra to Queen Elizabeth II[4]
References[]
- ^ "Transfer of power and Jinnah". 4 February 2013.
- ^ "Pakistan Affairs". 1948.
- ^ "Ghulam Muhammad | governor general of Pakistan".
- ^ Syed Nur Ahmad (2019), From Martial Law To Martial Law: Politics In The Punjab, 1919-1958, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 9780429716560
External links[]
- Heads of state of Pakistan
- Lists of political office-holders in Pakistan