Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

Title & tenure

21st Prime Minister of Pakistan (2017–2018)

In office: 2017 – 2018

Predecessor:

Nawaz Sharif

Successor:

Imran Khan

Biography

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a PML(N) politician and former Petroleum Minister, was chosen by his party to serve as Prime Minister after Nawaz Sharif's disqualification in the Panama Papers case, serving as a stabilizing placeholder while Sharif continued to lead the party from outside government.

Achievements

• Maintained government continuity and completed the PML(N) government's term after Nawaz Sharif's sudden disqualification
• Oversaw continued progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy and infrastructure projects during his tenure

Key events

• Appointed Prime Minister in August 2017 immediately after Nawaz Sharif's Supreme Court disqualification
• Led the government through to the completion of its term and the 2018 general election

Legacy

Abbasi's premiership is remembered as a brief, stabilizing bridge that kept the PML(N) government functioning after the political shock of Nawaz Sharif's sudden removal from office.

How it ended

Term ended with the completion of the National Assembly's five-year mandate in 2018, followed by a general election won by Imran Khan's PTI.