The President of Pakistan is constitutionally the head of the state. The recently passed 18 th Amendment has restored Pakistan’s government system as democratic, whereby the President is chosen by the Electoral College, which consists of the Senate, National Assembly, and the provincial assemblies, for a five-year term. Thus, the President of Pakistan is truly a complete representative figure in the government having the highest authority to run the government. The Prime Minister of Pakistan runs the state.
The President of Pakistan is also the Chairman of the National Security Council, the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The post also gives the President power to appoint the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Colonel-Commandant Marines.
The President of Pakistan is not allowed to serve more than two consecutive terms and he/she can be impeached and removed from the post if the two-third majority of the Parliament decides so. In Pakistan’s history, exchange of central chief executive powers have always jostled between the President and the Prime Minister often implementing changes through various amendments in the Constitution. Here is a complete list of all the Presidents of Pakistan since 1947.
1. Iskander Mirza (1899–1969)
In Office: 23 March 1956 – 27 October 1958
Total Duration: 2 Years, 7 Months, 4 Days
Status: Elected democratically
Political Party: Republican Party
2. Ayub Khan (1907–1974)
In Office: 27 October 1958 – 25 March 1969
Total Duration: 10 Years, 4 Months, 26 Days
Status: Military Dictator
Political Party: None
3. Yahya Khan (1917–1980)
In Office: 25 March 1969 – 20 December 1971
Total Duration: 2 Years, 8 Months, 25 Days
Status: Military Dictator
Political Party: None
4. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1928–1979)
In Office: 20 December 1971 – 13 August 1973
Total Duration: 1 Year, 7 Months, 24 Days
Status: Elected democratically
Political Party: Pakistan Peoples Party
5. Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry (1904–1982)
In Office: 13 August 1973 – 16 September 1978
Total Duration: 5 Years, 1 Month, 3 Days
Status: Elected democratically
Political Party: Pakistan Peoples Party
6. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (1924–1988)
In Office: 16 September 1978 – 17 August 1988
Total Duration: 9 Years, 11 Months, 1 Day
Status: Military Dictator
Political Party: None
7. Ghulam Ishaq Khan (1915–2006)
In Office: 17 August 1988 – 18 July 1993
Total Duration: 4 Years, 11 Months, 1 Day
Status: Elected democratically
Political Party: Independent
In Office: 18 July 1993 – 14 November 1993
Total Duration: 3 Months, 27 Days
Status: Acting
Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (N)
8. Farooq Leghari (1940–2010)
In Office: 14 November 1993 – 2 December 1997
Total Duration: 4 Years, 18 Days
Status: Elected democratically
Political Party: Pakistan Peoples Party
In Office: 2 December 1997 – 1 January 1998
Total Duration: 29 Days
Status: Acting
Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (N)
9. Muhammad Rafiq Tarar (Born 1929)
In Office: 1 January 1998 – 20 June 2001
Total Duration: 3 Years, 5 Months, 19 Days
Status: Elected democratically
Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (N)
10. Pervez Musharraf (Born 1943)
In Office: 20 June 2001 – 18 August 2008
Total Duration: 7 Years, 1 Month, 29 Days
Status: Military Dictator
Political Party: Later affiliated with Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
In Office: 18 August 2008 – 9 September 2008
Total Duration: 22 Days
Status: Acting
Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
11. Asif Ali Zardari (Born 1955)
In Office: 9 September 2008 – 8 September 2013
Total Duration: 5 Years
Status: Elected democratically
Political Party: Pakistan People’s Party
12. Mamnoon Hussain (Born 1940)
In Office: 9 September 2013 – Incumbent
Total Duration: 6 months, 3 days and counting
Status: Elected democratically
Political Party: Pakistan Muslim League (N)
