Pakistan lost opener Mohammad Hafeez, early in the game for seven runs after Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field. The green shirts lost Hussain Talat next for 10 runs after he was bowled out by Chamu Chibhabha.
Skipper Sarfraz Ahmed departed for 16 off 15 balls after giving a straight forward catch to Musakanda off Tendai Chisoro.
However, opener Fakhar Zaman continued his good form as he brought up his second T20I half-century, while Shoaib Malik becomes the third batsman to go past 2000 runs in T20Is, scoring 37 off 24 balls.
Pakistan will be looking to maintain their top spot on the ICC T20 ranking, which also features Australia.
They will be looking to put behind their horrid tour of England after enduring a 6-0 drubbing across limited overs formats.
Australia currently stands on number three and could capture the top spot if they win all their upcoming games in the tri-series.
The kangaroos will be up against a Pakistan side brimming with confidence after having lost only one of their eight T20 internationals this year.
Looking to extend their success, Pakistan has named a full-strength squad for their trip to Zimbabwe.
The green shirts have decided not to rest fast bowler Mohammad Amir for this tour, while 19-year-old leg-spinner Shadab Khan will be looking to play a crucial part in the series.
The experienced Mohammad Hafeez will return to the top order after his bowling action was cleared as legal last month.
Pakistan will also bank on the experience of captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who has toured Zimbabwe twice before.
The three teams will play each other twice, with a rest day on Saturday before the top two sides meet in next Sunday's final.
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