Searching for the “current caretaker prime minister of Pakistan”? Here is the straight, current answer: there isn’t one. Pakistan has an elected government, so the caretaker’s office — which only exists between the dissolution of the Assembly and the next elections — is vacant. This guide gives you the current position, the last office-holder, and when the next caretaker (nigran) prime minister will be appointed.
Quick answer: As of 11 October 2026, Pakistan has no caretaker prime minister. The last was Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar (14 August 2023 – 4 March 2024). Shehbaz Sharif is the current elected prime minister (in office since 4 March 2024). A new caretaker PM will be appointed only when the National Assembly is dissolved before the next general elections.
In this guide
The Current Position (October 2026)
Pakistan’s prime minister today is Shehbaz Sharif — elected by the National Assembly on 3 March 2024 and sworn in on 4 March 2024 as the country’s 24th prime minister, following the 8 February 2024 general elections. Because an elected prime minister is in office, there is no caretaker prime minister, and there cannot be one: the two offices are mutually exclusive. The caretaker exists only in the gap — after dissolution, before the new government’s formation.
The Last Caretaker: Kakar
The most recent caretaker prime minister was Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, who served from 14 August 2023 to 4 March 2024. A senator from Balochistan and co-founder of the Balochistan Awami Party, he resigned both his Senate seat and party membership to take the neutral role. His 203-day tenure is the longest of any caretaker PM — the 2024 elections were delayed beyond the normal 90-day window by constituency delimitation after the 2023 digital census. His government’s defining task was holding the 8 February 2024 general elections and handing power to the winner: Shehbaz Sharif, the same man Kakar had succeeded as caretaker eighteen months earlier.
When the Next Caretaker Will Be Appointed
The next caretaker prime minister will be appointed when the current National Assembly is dissolved ahead of the next general elections. The National Assembly elected in February 2024 serves a five-year term, so — barring early dissolution — the next caretaker setup would be expected around 2028–29. When that moment comes, the familiar machinery will engage: the then-prime minister and the Leader of the Opposition will try to agree on a name; if they can’t, a parliamentary committee decides; and if that deadlocks, the Election Commission of Pakistan chooses. For the full procedure, see our caretaker PM explainer.
Why People Search for This
This query spikes for understandable reasons. During 2023–24, “caretaker prime minister” was one of Pakistan’s most-searched political terms, and old articles naming Kakar as “the caretaker PM” still circulate — without the context that his tenure ended in March 2024. Others encounter the term in the Constitution or in news about the next election cycle and assume the office is permanent. It isn’t: the nigran prime minister is a temporary constitutional bridge, and right now that bridge isn’t needed. For the meaning of the term itself, see what “nigran” means.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the current caretaker prime minister of Pakistan in 2026?
No one — the office is vacant. Pakistan has an elected prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif (since 4 March 2024). The last caretaker PM was Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, whose tenure ended on 4 March 2024.
When will Pakistan get its next caretaker prime minister?
When the current National Assembly is dissolved before the next general elections — expected around 2028–29 if the Assembly completes its five-year term, or sooner if dissolved early.
Was Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar the longest-serving caretaker PM?
Yes. His 203-day tenure (14 August 2023 – 4 March 2024) is the longest of the eight caretaker premierships since 1990, extended by the delayed 2024 elections.
