England compound Pakistan's misery
Morgan and Yardy guided England to a victory in a tough match, which at moment, was Pakistan's for the taking.
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The first of two Twenty20 games in three days between the sides predictably failed to rise above a controversy that has crippled international cricket.
Pakistan's visit to the Welsh capital was inevitably overshadowed by 'spot-fixing' allegations made against their Test team skipper Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Asif's fellow bowler Mohammad Aamer.
The trio are currently suspended following claims in last weekend's News of the World when it was alleged Asif and Aamer bowled no balls to order during last month's fourth Test against England at Lord's.
All three players are the subject of police and International Cricket Council investigations, although they have denied any wrong-doing.
Pakistan's Twenty20 team, under the enthusiastic leadership of Shahid Afridi, battled hard to defend a disappointing 126 for four after they were kept in check by England spinners Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy.
And Yardy then did his bit with the bat, rescuing England from an alarming position of 62 for five as he compiled an unbroken sixth-wicket stand worth 67 with Eoin Morgan.
Yardy finished on 35 from 26 balls and Morgan unbeaten with 38 off 24 as England triumphed 17 balls inside the distance, owing much to both players' shot-making freedom on both sides of the wicket.
Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar at least lived up to his 'Rawalpindi Express' nickname during a hostile opening spell that accounted for Craig Kieswetter and Ravi Bopara.
Kieswetter was caught behind for six after slashing wildly outside off-stump, then Bopara (11) fell to a stunning Mohammad Yousuf catch.
And when Afridi bowled England skipper Paul Collingwood (4) and Luke Wright for a second-ball duck either side of wicketkeeper Steven Davies' dismissal for 33, a real contest beckoned.
But Pakistan could not turn the screw, and Morgan, who enjoyed a let-off when Shoaib dropped a simple catch early in his innings, smashed the winning boundary through extra-cover.
It put England one up in the series - they meet again in Cardiff on Tuesday evening - and continued their run of quality Twenty20 form under Collingwood.
Spin-king Swann earlier led the way, claiming two for 14 as Pakistan were restricted to little more than six an over after they were put in by Collingwood following a 30-minute delayed start because of rain when Cardiff's leaden sky metaphorically wept for cricket's recent sordid events.
England's bowlers, backed up by sharp ground fielding, took charge as Pakistan tried in vain to let their cricket take centre stage.
Yardy provided admirable support for Swann by taking one for 21, with England's spinners applying the brakes in conceding just 35 runs between them from eight overs.
Despite a late flourish from Umar Akmal (35 not out) and Afridi (16no) - Afridi was dropped by Stuart Broad and Wright in rapid succession - England were left chasing what appeared a comfortable target in their first Twenty20 game since being crowned world champions earlier this year.
Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, promoted to open, was first to go when he skied a delivery during Tim Bresnan's first over towards a grateful Yardy at mid-off, and although Yousuf (26) led a boundary-laced recovery, Swann soon pegged Pakistan back.
Swann struck with his fifth delivery, seeing Yousuf caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Morgan, before a delivery that turned sharply accounted for Shahzaib Hasan, who was stumped by Davies.
Swann had taken two for five in seven balls, and with Yardy finding an immediate rhythm from the other end, Pakistan reached a pedestrian 61 for three after 10 overs.
Fawad Alam then lobbed a straightforward catch back to bowler Yardy at 88 for four, and although Akmal and Afridi compiled an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 38, England knew they had probably done enough.
Shoaib and Afridi did their utmost to wrestle the match from England's control, yet Shoaib was also guilty of two glaring blunders, dropping Morgan after he had conceded a boundary when he misfielded miserably at long-off.
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