Minister of Defence (Pakistan)

List of Defence Ministers of Pakistan

Minister of Defence

Incumbent
Khawaja Asif

since 11 March 2024

Ministry of Defence
Member of| Cabinet
Reports to|

* Prime Minister of Pakistan
* Parliament of Pakistan

Seat| Calcutta House, Murree Road Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan. 46000
Nominator| Prime minister of Pakistan
Appointer| President of Pakistan
First holder| Liaquat Ali Khan
Website| mod.gov.pk

Politics of Pakistan

Federalism

* Federal government

* * *

*     * Provincial governments: Punjab
* Sindh
* KPK
* Balochistan

*     * Governors:  Sardar Saleem Haider(Punjab)
* Kamran Tessori(Sindh)
* Faisal Karim Kundi(KPK)
* Sheikh Jaffar Khan(Balochistan)
* Syed Mehdi Shah(Gilgit-Baltistan)

*     * Chief Ministers: Maryam Nawaz(Punjab)
* Murad Ali Shah(Sindh)
* Ali Amin Gandapur(KPK)
* Sarfraz Bugti(Balochistan)
* Gulbar Khan(Gilgit-Baltistan)

*     * Provincial assemblies of Pakistan: Punjab
* Sindh
* KPK
* Balochistan
* Gilgi-Baltistan

* * *

Azad Kashmir government

* President: Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry
* Prime Minister: Chaudhry Anwarul Haq
* Legislative Assembly

* * *

Government of Gilgit-Baltistan

* * *

Local government

* Divisions
* Districts
* Tehsil
* UCs

Parliament legislature

* Senate (Upper House)

* Chairman: Yousaf Raza Gillani
* Deputy Chairman: Syedaal Khan Nasar (PML(N))
* Leader of the House: Ishaq Dar (PML(N))
* Opposition leader: Shibli Faraz (PTI)

* * *

* National Assembly (Lower House)

* Leader of the House: Shehbaz Sharif (PML(N))
* Speaker: Ayaz Sadiq (PML(N))
* Deputy speaker: Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah (PPP)
* Leader of the Opposition: Omar Ayub Khan

* * *

Constitution of Pakistan

*     * Previous constitutions:1956
* 1962
* 1973

* Annex (written 1949, incorporated 1985)
* Amendments
* Law
* Pakistan Penal Code
* Human rights

Executive

* President of Pakistan: Asif Ali Zardari (PPP)
* List of presidents of Pakistan

* * *

* Prime Minister of Pakistan: Shahbaz Sharif (PML-N)
* List of prime ministers of Pakistan

* * *

* Cabinet of Pakistan
* Cabinet Secretary

Judiciary

* Supreme Court of Pakistan
* Chief Justice: Yahya Afridi
* List of justices
* Judges appointment body: Supreme Judicial Council and Judicial Commission

* * *

* High courts: Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Balochistan, Shariat Court

* * *

* Territorial courts: AJK supreme court, AJK High court, Gilgit-Baltistan supreme court, Gilgit-Baltistan High Court

* * *

* Special courts: Anti Terrorism Courts, Accountability Courts

* * *

*     * District Courts

Elections

* Election Commission of Pakistan
* Chief Election Commissioner: Sikandar Sultan Raja
* Electoral College

* * *

Territorial election commission

* AJK Election Commission
* Chief Election Commissioner of AJK: Abdul Rashid Sulehria
* Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission
* Chief Election Commissioner of Gilgit-Baltistan: Raja Shah Baz Khan

* * *

Elections

*     * Presidential: 2008
* 2013
* 2018
* 2024

*     * General: 1970
* 1977
* 1985
* 1988
* 1990
* 1993
* 1997
* 2002
* 2008
* 2013
* 2018
* 2024

* * *

Provincial elections

*     * Punjab: 2002
* 2008
* 2013
* 2018
* 2024

*     * Sindh: 2002
* 2008
* 2013
* 2018
* 2024

*     * KPK: 2002
* 2008
* 2013
* 2018
* 2024

*     * Balochistan: 2013
* 2018
* 2024

* * *

Territorial elections

*     * Azad Kashmir: 1970
* 1975
* 1985
* 1990
* 1991
* 1996
* 2001
* 2006
* 2011
* 2016
* 2021

*     * Gilgit-Baltistan: 2009
* 2015
* 2020

* * *

Political parties

* Pakistan Muslim League (N)
* Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
* Pakistan Peoples Party
* Complete list

Administrative units

Capital territory

* Islamabad

Provinces

* Balochistan
* Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
* Punjab
* Sindh

* * *

Autonomous region

* Azad Kashmir
* Gilgit-Baltistan

Foreign relations

Diplomacy

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Secretary
* Diplomatic missions of / in Pakistan

* * *

Customs

* Passport
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy

* * *

Regional topics

* Kashmir conflict
* India
* China
* United States

Pakistan portal

* v
* t
* e

The Minister of Defence (Urdu: 'وزیرِ دفاع') heads the Ministry of Defence. The minister serves in the cabinet of the Prime Minister and is required to be a member of Parliament.

In the history of the country, the defence portfolio has usually been headed by the head of the government, be that the President or Prime Minister of the country. The first defence minister was Liaquat Ali Khan.

## List of ministers

[edit]

Legend

* Caretaker minister
* † Died in office

Portrait  | Name
(Born–Died) | Tenure  | Party  | Government  | Head of Government

|
|
|
|
|

From  | To  | Length
Federal Minister of Defence
|  | Liaquat Ali Khan
(1947–1951)
MCA for East Bengal
(Prime Minister)  | 15 August
1947  | 16 October
1951[†] | 4 years, 62 days | Muslim League | Liaquat  |  | Self
|  | Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin
(1894–1964)
MCA for East Bengal
(Prime Minister)  | 24 October
1951  | 17 April
1953  | 1 year, 175 days | Nazimuddin  |  | Self
|  | Mohammad Ali Bogra
(1909–1963)
MCA for East Bengal
(Prime Minister)  | 18 April
1953  | 24 October
1954  | 1 year, 189 days | Bogra  |  | Mohammad Ali Bogra
|  | General
Muhammad Ayub Khan
(1907–1974)
Commander-in-Chief of the Army | 24 October
1954  | 11 August
1955  | 291 days
|  | Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
(1905–1982)
MNA for Punjab
(Prime Minister)  | 12 August
1955  | 12 September
1956  | 1 year, 31 days | Muhammad Ali  |  | Self
|  | Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
(1892–1963)
MNA for East Bengal
(Prime Minister)  | 13 September
1956  | 18 October
1957  | 1 year, 35 days | Awami League | Suhrawardy  |  | Self
|  | Mumtaz Daultana
(1916–1965)
MNA for Punjab | 19 October
1957  | 18 December
1957  | 60 days | Muslim League | Chundrigar  |  | I. I. Chundrigar
Federal Minister  | 19 December
1957  | 8 April
1958  | 110 days | Republican Party | Noon  |  | Sir Feroz Khan Noon
|  | Sir Feroz Khan Noon
(1893–1970)
MCA for Punjab
(Prime Minister)
Minister of State
|  | Akbar Bugti
(1926–2006)
Federal Minister of Defence
|  | Muhammad Ayub Khuhro
(1901–1980)
MNA for Sindh | 9 April
1958  | 7 October
1958  | 181 days | Muslim League | Noon  |  | Sir Feroz Khan Noon
|  | Field Marshal
Muhammad Ayub Khan
(1907–1974)
(President)  | 28 October
1958  | 21 October
1966  | 7 years, 358 days | Ayub  |  | Muhammad Ayub Khan
(President)
| Convention Muslim League |
|  | Vice Admiral
Afzal Rahman Khan
(1921–1983) | 12 October
1966  | 5 April
1969  | 2 years, 175 days | Military
(Non-partisan)
|  | General
Yahya Khan
(1917–1980)
(Chief Martial Law Administrator)  | 25 March
1969  | 20 December
1971  | 2 years, 270 days | Military
(Non-partisan) | Yahya  |  | Self
(President)
|  | Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
(1928–1979)
MNA for 116 Larkana-I
(President until 14 Aug 1973
Prime Minister from 14 Aug 1973)  | 20 December
1971  | 5 July
1977  | 5 years, 197 days | Pakistan People's Party | Bhutto  |  | Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
|  | General
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
(1924–1988)
(Chief Martial Law Administrator)  | 5 July
1977  | 27 Aug
1978  | 1 year, 53 days | Military
(Non-partisan) | Haq  |  | Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
(President)
|  | Ali Ahmad Talpur
(1915–1987) | 27 August
1978  | 25 February
1985  | 6 years, 182 days | Independent
|  | General
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
(1924–1988)
(President)  | 27 February
1985  | 24 March
1985  | 25 days | Military
(Non-partisan)
|  | Muhammad Junejo
(1932–1993)
(Prime Minister)  | 25 March
1985  | 29 May
1988  | 3 years, 65 days | Independent
|  | Mahmoud Haroon
(1920–2008) | 9 June
1988  | 17 August
1988  | 176 days
17 August
1988  | 2 December
1988  | Ishaq Khan  |  | Ghulam Ishaq Khan
(Acting President)
|  | Benazir Bhutto
(1953–2007)
MNA for 166 Larkana-III
(Prime Minister)  | 4 December
1988  | 6 August
1990  | 1 year, 245 days | Pakistan People's Party | Bhutto I |  | Self
Caretaker ministry served during this interval
|  | Nawaz Sharif
(born 1949)
MNA for 12 Abbottabad-II
(Prime Minister)  | 6 November
1990  | 10 September
1991  | 308 days | Muslim League
(IJI) | Nawaz I |  | Nawaz Sharif
|  | Ghous Ali Shah
(born 1934) | 10 September
1991  | 18 April
1993  | 1 year, 220 days
|  | Hazar Khan Bijarani
(1946–2018)
(Caretaker) | 18 April
1993  | 26 May
1993  | 38 days | Independent
(Caretaker) | Mazari |  | Balakh Sher Mazari
(Caretaker)
|  | Ghous Ali Shah
(born 1934) | 26 May
1993  | 18 July
1993  | 53 days | Pakistan Muslim League (N)
(IJI) | Nawaz I |  | Nawaz Sharif
|  | Lieutenant General (Retd)
Rehm Dil Bhatti
(Caretaker) | 23 July
1993  | 19 October
1993  | 88 days | Independent
(Caretaker) | Qureshi |  | Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi
(Caretaker)
|  | Aftab Shaban Mirani
MNA for 154 Shikarpur-I | 19 October
1993  | 5 November
1996  | 3 years, 17 days | Pakistan People's Party | Bhutto II  |  | Benazir Bhutto
|  | Shahid Hamid
(Caretaker) | 11 November
1996  | 17 February
1997  | 98 days | Independent
(Caretaker) | Khalid  |  | Malik Meraj Khalid
(Caretaker)
|  | Nawaz Sharif
(born 1949)
MNA for 12 Abbottabad-II
(Prime Minister)  | 17 February
1997  | 12 October
1999  | 2 years, 237 days | Pakistan Muslim League (N) | Nawaz II |  | Self
|  | General
Pervez Musharraf
(1943–2023)
(Chief Executive)  | 12 October
1999  | 23 November
2002  | 3 years, 42 days | Military
(Non-partisan) | Musharraf  |  | Self
(Chief Executive)
|  | Rao Sikandar Iqbal
(1943–2010)
MNA for 144 Okara-II
(Senior Minister)  | 23 November
2002  | 15 November
2007  | 4 years, 357 days | Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians | Jamali  |  | Zafarullah Khan Jamali
Hussain  |  | Shujaat Hussain
Aziz  |  | Shaukat Aziz
|  | Salim Abbas Jilani
(Caretaker) | 15 November
2007  | 24 March
2008  | 130 days | Independent
(Caretaker) | Soomro  |  | Muhammad Mian Soomro
(Caretaker)
|  | Ahmad Mukhtar
(1946–2020)
MNA for 105 Gujrat-II | 31 March
2008  | 3 June
2012  | 4 years, 64 days | Pakistan People's Party | Gillani |  | Yousaf Raza Gillani
|  | Naveed Qamar
(born 1955)
MNA for 222 Hyderabad-V | 4 June
2012  | 16 March
2013  | 285 days | Ashraf |  | Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
|  | Mir Hazar Khan Khoso
(1929–2021)
(Prime Minister)
(Caretaker) | 4 April
2013  | 4 June
2013  | 61 days | Independent
(Caretaker) | Khoso |  | Self
(Caretaker)
|  | Nawaz Sharif
(born 1949)
MNA for 120 Lahore-III
(Prime Minister)  | 7 June
2013  | 26 November
2013  | 172 days | Pakistan Muslim League (N) | Nawaz III |  | Nawaz Sharif
|  | Khawaja Asif
(born 1949)
MNA for 71 Sialkot | 27 November
2013  | 28 July
2017  | 3 years, 243 days
|  | Khurram Dastgir
(born 1970)
MNA for 96 Gujranwala-II | 4 August
2017  | 31 May
2018  | 300 days | Abbasi |  | Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
|  | Abdullah Hussain Haroon
(born 1950)
(Caretaker) | 5 June
2018  | 18 August
2018  | 74 days | Independent
(Caretaker) | Mulk |  | Nasirul Mulk
(Caretaker)
|  | Pervez Khattak
(born 1950)
MNA for 25 Nowshera-I | 20 August
2018  | 10 April
2022  | 3 years, 233 days | Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf | Imran |  | Imran Khan
|  | Khawaja Asif
(born 1949)
MNA for 73 Sialkot-II | 19 April
2022  | 10 August
2023  | 1 year, 113 days | Pakistan Muslim League (N) | Shehbaz I |  | Shehbaz Sharif
|  | Lieutenant General (Retd)
Anwar Ali Hyder
(Caretaker) | 17 August
2023  | 4 March
2024  | 200 days | Independent
(Caretaker) | Kakar |  | Anwaar ul Haq Kakar
(Caretaker)
|  | Khawaja Asif
(born 1949)
MNA for 71 Sialkot-II | 11 March
2024  | Incumbent  | 287 days | Pakistan Muslim League (N) | Shehbaz II |  | Shehbaz Sharif

## See also

[edit]

* Constitution of Pakistan
* President of Pakistan
* Prime Minister of Pakistan
* Ministry of Defence Pakistan
* Foreign Minister of Pakistan
* Finance Minister of Pakistan
* Interior Minister of Pakistan
* Ministry of Defence Production

## Notes

[edit]

## References

[edit]

## External links

[edit]

* Ministry of Defence, Government of Pakistan
* Parliamentary Cabinet of Pakistan

* v
* t
* e

Pakistan Armed Forces

Military history of Pakistan

Leadership|

* Commander-in-Chief
* President of Pakistan
* Chief Executive
* Prime Minister of Pakistan
* Parliament
* Senate Committee on Defence
* National Assembly Committee on Defence
* Cabinet Committee on National Security
* National Security Council

| Ministers|

* Defence
* Secretary
* Defence Production

|

Joint Chiefs of Staff|

* Chairman
* Chief of Army Staff
* Chief of Air Staff
* Chief of Naval Staff

Services|

* Army
* Navy
* Marines
* Air Force

| Inter-Services|

* Intelligence
* Public Relations
* Selection Board
* National Command Authority
* Nursing Service
* Armed Forces Band

|

Paramilitary|

* Civil Armed Forces
* National Guard
* Strategic Plans Division Force

Personnel|

* Awards and decorations
* Women

| Ranks and insignia|

* Army
* Navy
* Marines
* Air Force

|

Business interests|

* Pakistani Defence Industry
* Defence Housing Authority

| Foundations|

* Fauji (Joint)
* Askari (Army)
* Bahria (Navy)
* Shaheen (Air Force)

|

Criticism|

* Establishment
* Gang of Four
* Bangladesh genocide

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