Liaquat Ali Khan was the first prime minister — but Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the first elected one: the first premier to hold the office by popular democratic mandate. Sworn in on 14 August 1973, his four years remade Pakistan — and ended on the gallows.
Quick answer: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was Pakistan’s first elected prime minister — sworn in 14 August 1973 after the 1973 Constitution (which he championed) restored parliamentary democracy, winning 108 of 146 National Assembly votes. His government: the 1973 Constitution, mass nationalisation, the nuclear programme — ended by Zia’s 1977 coup and his 1979 execution.
In this guide
Why ‘First Elected’
Earlier PMs took office through indirect or constrained mandates: Liaquat from the pre-partition Constituent Assembly, the 1950s PMs from shifting coalitions, Ayub-era PMs under military tutelage. Bhutto’s PPP won the 1970 general election — Pakistan’s first on universal adult franchise — decisively in West Pakistan; after the 1971 trauma and his 1971–73 presidency, the 1973 Constitution made him PM by parliamentary vote. The first premier whose claim to the office ran directly from the voters.
The Achievements
- 1973 Constitution — passed unanimously; still Pakistan’s constitution
- Nuclear programme — launched January 1972 (‘we will eat grass…’); the foundation of the deterrent
- Nationalisation — banks, insurance, heavy industry, schools; the ‘Roti, Kapra aur Makan’ economics
- Simla Agreement (1972) — recovered 90,000 POWs and territory from India diplomatically
- Islamic Summit, Lahore (1974) — hosted the Muslim world’s leaders; recognised Bangladesh
The Fall
The 1977 elections — won by the PPP but alleged rigged — brought the PNA agitation; on 5 July 1977, General Zia-ul-Haq deposed Bhutto. Tried for the murder of a political opponent in a trial widely condemned as judicial murder, Bhutto was hanged on 4 April 1979 at Rawalpindi jail. The PPP lives on as his dynasty’s party; the 1973 Constitution as his monument. The PMs around him: Pakistan prime minister list.
The 1970 Election
The mandate behind the ‘first elected’ title: the December 1970 general election — Pakistan’s first on universal adult franchise. The Awami League won 160 of 162 East Pakistan seats; Bhutto’s PPP won 81 of 138 in the West. The assembly never got to transfer power — the result was the 1971 war and Bangladesh. Bhutto’s democratic mandate came from West Pakistan’s voters; his premiership (1973) was that mandate finally honoured, in the truncated Pakistan that remained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first elected PM?
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto — sworn in 14 August 1973 under the new constitution, the first PM by popular democratic mandate (PPP’s 1970 election victory).
Why is Bhutto called Quaid-e-Awam?
‘Leader of the People’ — for bringing mass, populist politics to Pakistan: Roti, Kapra aur Makan, labour rights, and giving the poor a political voice.
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