Muhammad Rafiq Tarar

Muhammad Rafiq Tarar (b. November 2, 1929) was President of Pakistan from January 1, 1998 until June 20, 2001.

Tarar was mostly a figurehead ruler during his time in office. The Presidency of Pakistan's powers had been slowly removed over the years, culminating in the 1997 Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan which removed virtually all remaining reserve powers, making the office almost entirely symbolic in nature.

Tarar was not removed from office when Pervez Musharraf seized control of the Pakistani government in 1999. While Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was deposed, Tarar was allowed to remain in office until 2001, at which point Musharraf assumed the presidency in an attempt to both gain legitimacy and restructure Pakistan's model of government to a more presidential system of rule.