Famous Pakistani Leaders

The current Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan is also the founder and chairman of the political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Before making an entry into politics, Imran Khan was an extremely popular international cricketer who led Pakistan to its first ever Cricket World Cup title in 1992. As a philanthropist, he established Pakistan’s first cancer hospital in Lahore.

Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who served as Pakistan's prime minister in two separate terms and became the first woman in a Muslim majority nation to lead a democratic government. She was assassinated, at the age of 54, and after her death has been revered by many as an icon for women's rights.

Abdul Sattar Edhi was a Pakistani ascetic, philanthropist, and humanitarian. He is credited with founding the Edhi Foundation, which operates a volunteer ambulance network as well as several animal shelters, orphanages, homeless shelters, and rehabilitation centres across Pakistan. He was often nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize during his lifetime.

Pervez Musharraf is a former Pakistani President and army chief who overthrew his country’s elected government in a coup to assume power as its chief executive. Kargil infiltration, confrontation with India and a steep rise in Pakistan’s GDP marked the presidency of the now-retired four-star general. He was awarded capital punishment for treason, but the court order was annulled later.

Pakistani barrister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto served as the prime minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977. He had also been the president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. He founded and chaired the Pakistan People's Party. His reign witnessed the formation of Bangladesh and the signing of the Simla Agreement.

Fatima Jinnah was a Pakistani politician, stateswoman, and dental surgeon. She was the younger sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Fatima worked closely with her elder brother, who often sought the advice of his sister. Fatima Jinnah is also credited with co-founding the All Pakistan Women's Association, which aims at promoting the welfare of Pakistani women. 

Asif Ali Zardari is a Pakistani politician who served as the president of Pakistan from 9 September 2008 to 9 September 2013. His tenure was widely criticized for his inability to control terrorism in Pakistan. He is the current president of a popular Pakistani political party called Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP).

Iskander Mirza was a Pakistani civil servant and general who served as the first president of Pakistan. Mirza played an important role in the newly-created Pakistan in 1974. After the Partition of India, Mirza served as the first Defence Secretary and oversaw the military efforts during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948.

A descendant of Persian ruler Nāder Shah, Yahya Khan started his career as a military man during World War II. At 34, following his participation in Pakistan’s war against India over Kashmir, he became Pakistan’s youngest brigadier general. He took over as the president in 1969 and imposed martial law.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a Pashtun independence activist who opposed the British rule in India. A spiritual and political leader, Khan called for Hindu-Muslim unity in India and opposed the partition of India. Khan is still revered by many in India and Pakistan for his pacifist ideology. Many places in India are named in his honor.

The second governor-general and the second prime minister of Pakistan, Khawaja Nazimuddin had a short tenure due to his ineffective handling of the tense situation in his country. Born in Dacca, he had an elite education at Cambridge and was a qualified lawyer. He was also knighted by the British.

Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was a Pakistani statesman who served as the fifth prime minister of Pakistan from 1956 to 1957. A lawyer by profession, Suhrawardy played an important role in the Indian independence movement before the partition of India. Suhrawardy's influential role in the 1946 Calcutta Killings made him extremely unpopular in West Bengal, India. 

Shaukat Aziz is a Pakistani politician, former banker, and financier. He served as the 17th prime minister of Pakistan and was in the office August 2004 to November 2007. He was also the finance minister from 1999 to 2007.  His tenure brought about political stability and economic progress in Pakistan. He also oversaw the expansion of military reforms and police reforms. 

Muhammad Ali Bogra was a diplomat, politician, and statesman. He served as the prime minister of Pakistan from 1953 to 1955, during which he worked towards strengthening the bilateral relations between the United States and Pakistan. He also aimed at achieving peace with India by strengthening the military. Later in his career, he served as the foreign minister of Pakistan.