In Pakistan Ministry of Human Rights has traversed a staggered and checkered course over time. Initially, it was established as a cell in the Ministry of Interior to deal with Human Rights issues which were transferred to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in 1994. In 1995, the Government of Pakistan established a full-fledged Ministry of Human Rights. After one year in 1996, the Ministry of Human Rights was reduced to a Wing and merged with Ministry of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs. It was again upgraded in 2007 as Human Rights Division. In 2008 this Division attained the status of a full-fledged Ministry of Human Rights. After devolution, some subjects of the erstwhile Ministry of Women Development were transferred to the Ministry of Human Rights on 1st July, 2011. In 2013, the Ministry of Human Rights was again merged as a Wing with the Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights. On 23rd November 2015, it is again upgraded into a full-fledged Ministry of Human Rights.
| S. no | Name and party | Name of the Office | Tenure |
| 1 | Syed Iqbal Haider-PPP | Federal Minister for Human Rights | August 1, 1996-Oct. 28, 1996 |
| 2 | Dr. Sher Afghan Niazi-PPP | Federal Minister for Human Rights
Additional charge |
Oct. 28, 1996-Nov. 5, 1996 |
| 3 | Fakhauddin G. Ebrahim-Caretaker | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights | Nov. 6, 1996-Dec. 19, 1996 |
| 4 | Mr. Shahid Hamid-Caretaker | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights (additional charge) | Dec. 18, 1996-Feb. 17, 1997 |
| 5 | Senator Khalid Anwar-PML-N | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights | Aug. 11, 1997-Oct. 12, 1999 |
| 6 | Mr. Ashtar Ausaf Ali-PML-N | Advisor (Human rights) | Dec. 21, 1997 – 12 October 1999 |
| 7 | Mr. Aziz A. Munshi-Military rule | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights | Nov. 29, 1999-Nov. 28, 2000 |
| 8 | Barrister Shahida Jamil-Military rule | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights | Nov. 28, 2000-March 13, 2002 |
| 9 | Dr. Khalid Ranjha-Military rule | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights | March 13, 2002-Nov. 23, 2002 |
| 10 | Mian Khurshid Kasuri-PML-Q | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights (additional charge) | Nov. 23, 2002-June 26, 2004 |
| 11 | Mr. Raza Hayat Hiraj-PPP-Patriot | Minister of State for Law, justice and Human Rights (additional charge) | Nov. 23, 2002-Aug 25, 2004 |
| 12 | Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada | Senior Advisor (including Human Rights) | Sept. 1, 2004
-Nov.15, 2007 |
| 13 | Mr. Wasi Zafar-PML-Q | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights | Sept. 1, 2004
Aug. 25, 2007 |
| 14 | Ch. Shahid Akram Bhinder-PML-Q | Minister of State for Law, justice and Human Rights | Sept. 1, 2004
-Nov.15, 2007 |
| 15 | Mr. Zahid Hamid-PML-Q | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights | Aug. 25, 2007-Nov.15, 2007 |
| 16 | Mr. Ansar Burney-Caretaker | Federal Minister for Human Rights | Nov. 16, 2007-March 25, 2008 |
| 17 | Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani-PPP | Federal Minister for Human Rights | Nov. 4, 2008-Feb. 9, 2011 |
| 18 | Senator Raza Rabbani-PPPP | (additional charge) | Feb. 9, 2011-April 17, 2011 |
| 19 | Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar-PPPP | (additional charge) | |
| 20 | Mr. Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar-PML-Q | Advisor Human rights | May 4, 2011-March 24, 2013 |
| 21 | Mr. Ahmer Bilal Soofi-Caretaker | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights | April 3, 2013- June 4, 2013 |
| 22 | Mr. Zahid Hamid-PML-N | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights | June 8, 2013-June 22, 2013 |
| 23 | Senator Pervez Rashid-PML-N | Federal Minister for Law, justice and Human Rights (additional charge) | Nov. 27, 2013-Nov. 23, 2015 |
| 24 | Mr. Ashtar Ausaf Ali-PML-N | Special Assistant Special Assistant with the status of Minister of State (Law, Justice and Human Rights) | Feb. 25, 2015-March 29, 2016 |
| 25 | Mr. Zahid Hamid-PML-N | Additional charge | Nov. 18, 2015, May 19, 2016 |
| 26 | Barrister Zafarullah Khan-PML-N | Special Assistant with the status of Minister of State (Human Rights) | Nov. 23, 2015-April 4, 2016 |
| 27 | Senator Kamran Michael-PML-N | Federal Minister for Human Rights | May 20, 2016-August 4, 2017 |
| 28 | Barrister Usman Ibrahim-PML-N | Minister of State for Human Rights | August 4, 2017-May 2, 2018 |
| 29 | Mr. Mumtaz Ahmed Tarar-PML-N | Federal Minister for Human Rights | August 31, 2017-May 31, 2018 |
| 30 | Senator (R ) Roshan Khurshid Barocha-Caretaker | Federal Minister for Human Rights | June 5, 2018-August 17, 2018 |
| 31 | Dr. Shireen M Mazari-PTI | Federal Minister for Human Rights | August 20, 2018-incumbent |
