1st Foreign Minister of Pakistan: Who Held the Office First & Why It Matters
Search “1st foreign minister of Pakistan” and the answer is one name: Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan. This page gives you the direct answer — who he was, when he served, what he achieved — plus the context that makes the question worth asking: the office he created still shapes Pakistan’s foreign policy today.
Quick answer: The 1st foreign minister of Pakistan was Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, in office from December 1947 to October 1954. He founded Pakistan’s foreign service, championed Kashmir and Palestine at the UN, and is the only person in history to preside over both the UN General Assembly and the International Court of Justice.
The Direct Answer
Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan — born 6 February 1893 in Sialkot, died 1 September 1985 in Lahore — was Pakistan’s first Minister for Foreign Affairs. He was sworn in on 26 December 1947 in the cabinet of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan and served until 7 October 1954: roughly seven years, one of the longest foreign-minister tenures in the country’s history. His full story is told in our Sir Zafrullah Khan biography and the first foreign minister pillar guide.
Why He Was Chosen
Pakistan in 1947 had no foreign service — under the British, foreign affairs had been the Viceroy’s personal preserve. Zafrullah Khan was the natural choice: a judge of the Federal Court of India, knighted for his legal service, who had already led the Muslim League’s case before the Radcliffe Commission that drew the Punjab boundary. He combined legal authority, diplomatic polish and complete loyalty to the Pakistan cause.
Key Achievements in Office
Building the Foreign Office: he recruited and organised Pakistan’s foreign service from almost nothing. The UN years: he led Pakistan’s delegation to the UN General Assembly in October 1947 (Palestine) and represented the country at the UN Security Council from 1948 to 1954 (Kashmir and decolonisation). The Manila Pact: in September 1954 he signed Pakistan into SEATO, setting the country’s early Cold War course. The world after: ICJ judge and Vice-President, Pakistan’s UN ambassador, President of the UN General Assembly (1962–64), and President of the ICJ (1970–73).
The Office Today
The ministry Zafrullah Khan founded operates today from the Foreign Office in Islamabad. As of 2026, Pakistan’s foreign minister is Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister — the latest in a line of office-holders stretching back to that first cabinet of December 1947.
Was Zafrullah Khan the first foreign minister of Pakistan?
Yes. He was appointed Pakistan’s first Minister for Foreign Affairs in December 1947 and served until October 1954.
How long did the first foreign minister serve?
About seven years — from 26 December 1947 to 7 October 1954, per his own memoir. Few Pakistani foreign ministers since have served as long.
What is Zafrullah Khan’s world record?
He is the only person in history to have served as President of both the United Nations General Assembly (1962–1964) and the International Court of Justice (1970–1973).
 — the direct answer, his achievements, and the office today.){kind=link}