Pakistan prime minister tenures cut short

None of Pakistan’s 29 prime ministers have completed a full five-year tenure since the first one was assassinated in 1951. Since then, the prime minister’s term has prematurely ended on 18 occasions under pretexts including corruption charges, direct military coups and forced resignations due to infighting in ruling groups.

1 year

2

3

4

Liaquat Ali Khan

Longest tenure: four years, two months

At least 10 have been dismissed

Khawaja Nazimuddin

Muhammad Ali Bogra

Chaudhri Mohammad Ali

Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy

Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar

Resigned ahead of no-confidence vote

Malik Feroz Khan Noon

Shortest tenure: 13 days

Ousted in military coup

Noorul Amin

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Muhammad Khan Junejo

Benazir Bhutto (1st tenure)

Re-appointed, then resigned

Nawaz Sharif (1st tenure)

Benazir Bhutto (2nd tenure)

Ousted in military coup

Nawaz Sharif (2nd tenure)

Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali

Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani

Nawaz Sharif (3rd tenure)

Imran Khan is the country's first prime minister to be ousted via a no-confidence vote, which took place a week after he dissolved parliament in an attempt to hold on to his position – a move the Supreme Court ruled was unconstitutional.

Imran Khan

Three years and seven months

Note: Data as of April 10. Chart does not show the 11 "caretaker" prime ministers who served to oversee fresh elections or to see out a dismissed premier's tenure.

Source: National Assembly of Pakistan

Aditi Bhandari | Reuters, April 10, 2022

Pakistan prime minister tenures cut short

None of Pakistan’s 29 prime ministers have completed a full five-year tenure since the first one was assassinated in 1951. Since then, the prime minister’s term has prematurely ended on 18 occasions under pretexts including corruption charges, direct military coups and forced resignations due to infighting in ruling groups.

1 year

2

3

4

Longest tenure: four years, two months

Liaquat Ali Khan

At least 10 have been dismissed

Khawaja Nazimuddin

Muhammad Ali Bogra

Chaudhri Mohammad Ali

Hussain Shaheed

Suhrawardy

Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar

Resigned ahead of no-confidence vote

Malik Feroz Khan Noon

Noorul Amin

Shortest tenure: 13 days

Ousted in military coup

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Muhammad Khan Junejo

Benazir Bhutto (1st tenure)

Re-appointed, then resigned

Nawaz Sharif (1st tenure)

Benazir Bhutto (2nd tenure)

Ousted in

military coup

Nawaz Sharif (2nd tenure)

Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali

Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani

Nawaz Sharif (3rd tenure)

Imran Khan is the country's first prime minister to be ousted via a no-confidence vote, which took place a week after he dissolved parliament in an attempt to hold on to his position – a move the Supreme Court ruled was unconstitutional.

Imran Khan

Three years and seven months

Note: Data as of April 10. Chart does not show the 11 "caretaker" prime ministers who served to oversee fresh elections or to see out a dismissed premier's tenure.

Source: National Assembly of Pakistan

Aditi Bhandari | Reuters, April 10, 2022

Pakistan prime minister tenures cut short

None of Pakistan’s 29 prime ministers have completed a full five-year tenure since the first one was assassinated in 1951. Since then, the prime minister’s term has prematurely ended on 18 occasions under pretexts including corruption charges, direct military coups and forced resignations due to infighting in ruling groups.

1 year

2

3

4

Longest tenure: Four years, two months

Liaquat Ali Khan

At least 10 have been dismissed

Khawaja Nazimuddin

Muhammad Ali Bogra

Chaudhri Mohammad Ali

Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy

Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar

Resigned ahead of no-confidence vote

Malik Feroz Khan Noon

Noorul Amin

Shortest tenure: 13 days

Ousted in military coup

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Muhammad Khan Junejo

Benazir Bhutto (1st tenure)

Nawaz Sharif (1st tenure)

Re-appointed, then resigned

Benazir Bhutto (2nd tenure)

Nawaz Sharif (2nd tenure)

Ousted in military coup

Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali

Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani

Nawaz Sharif (3rd tenure)

Imran Khan is the country's first prime minister to be ousted via a no-confidence vote, which took place a week after he dissolved parliament in an attempt to hold on to his position – a move the Supreme Court ruled was unconstitutional.

Imran Khan

Three years and seven months

Note: Data as of April 10. Chart does not show the 11 "caretaker" or interim prime ministers who served to oversee fresh elections or to see out a dismissed premier's tenure.

Source: National Assembly of Pakistan

Aditi Bhandari | Reuters, April 10, 2022