Senator Anwaar-ul Haq Kakar to be Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister

Tariq Butt, Correspondent

Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) Senator Anwaar-ul Haq Kakar, belonging to Balochistan, was named as the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan on Saturday.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz simultaneously made this announcement. Kakar will take oath as the interim premier on Sunday.

The much-anticipated announcement came after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Raja Riaz reached a consensus over Kakar’s name for the coveted post in a meeting on Saturday.

Shahbaz Sharif and Raja Riaz during a meeting in Islamabad.

In a statement, the PMO said Shahbaz and Riaz have sent advice regarding Kakar’s appointment as the caretaker prime minister to President Arif Alvi. Within no time, Alvi approved the nomination.

During a chat with reporters, Riaz confirmed the selection. "We had earlier decided that the caretaker premier should be someone from a smaller province and a non-controversial personality. Our aim was to remove the sense of deprivation in small provinces. We have finally reached a consensus that Anwaar-ul Haq Kakar will be the caretaker prime minister,” Riaz said.

"I had given Kakar’s name to Shahbaz Sharif and the premier consented to this name. I and the prime minister have signed the summary,” he told reporters, adding Kakar would take oath as the head of the interim set-up on Sunday.

Kakar embarked on his senatorial journey in 2018, clinching a six-year term that will conclude in March 2024. Simultaneously, he undertook the role of parliamentary leader for the BAP — created in 2018 — within the Senate.

Kakar navigated this leadership position for a considerable five-year duration. Nonetheless, a mere five months ago, the party resolved to opt for new leadership, leading to his replacement.

The process for the appointment of the caretaker prime minister kicked off a day after the premature dissolution of the National Assembly on Aug 9. The first meeting between Sharif and Riaz was held on Aug.10 wherein both the leaders exchanged a list of probable candidates for the coveted slot.

The second round of consultations was held last night during a dinner hosted by Sharif for leaders of the outgoing ruling alliance. Subsequently, Sharif had expressed confidence that the name of the head of the interim set-up would be finalised by Saturday.