New Zealand, set a daunting 480-run target, were bowled out for 231 in 70.3 overs after resuming at 174-8.
Mark Craig was out for 28 but Ish Sodhi went on to hit a career-best 63 before he was the last man out, leg-before to paceman Imran Khan.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah finished with 3-74 while Rahat Ali and Zulfiqar Babar took two wickets for 48 apiece. Khan took 2-37.
With this win, Misbah-ul-Haq has become Pakistan's most successful test captain with 15 test wins.
The victory gave Misbah 15 wins in 33 Tests, bettering the 14-win record of the illustrious Imran Khan (48 Tests) and Javed Miandad (34 Tests).
"It's a great feeling to be part of the winning team. It's a young team, nobody expected us to perform like this," said Misbah. "I have always believed in myself and in my team and that paid off."
Pakistan had needed two wickets after their opponents resumed at 174-8 but it took only 16.3 overs for them to reach their target as New Zealand folded at 231 in 70.3 overs.
Misbah said it was nice to have a turn around after losing the Test series 2-0 in Sri Lanka in August.
"Sometimes you have to be patient. It was an absolute disaster for me, I didn't get any runs in Sri Lanka and one-day series against Australia, but I kept calm through that."
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said he was disappointed.
"Obviously we were clearly second in this Test match," said McCullum.
"Congratulations to Misbah and his team. They were dominant in this Test match and we have a fight on our hands in the next two games. We've got to make sure we keep improving. Spin is obviously a threat but so is reverse swing."
Babar had taken 14 wickets and Shah 12 in Pakistan's win over Australia and the same two bowlers also came good against New Zealand as well.
Babar finished with five and Shah four in the match.
For Pakistan, Ahmed Shehzad hit a career best 176 and Younis Khan and Misbah smashing hundreds in the team's first innings total of 566-3 declared.
Tom Latham scored his maiden hundred for New Zealand in a paltry 262-run total in the first knock.
Mohammad Hafeez scored his first hundred since July 2012 in Pakistan's second innings.
The second Test starts in Dubai on November 17 while the third and final in Sharjah from November 26.
The two teams will also play two Twenty20 and five one-day internationals, also in United Arab Emirates. (Samaa/ AFP)
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