Anwaarul Haq Kakar has officially become the 8th interim prime minister of Pakistan after taking the oath of office on Monday. The swearing-in ceremony, held at the presidency in Islamabad, was administered by President Arif Alvi.
The event was attended by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir, outgoing prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, former National Assembly speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, and other prominent political figures.
Kakar’s appointment as the interim premier was announced on Saturday after meetings between Shehbaz and outgoing Opposition Leader Raja Riaz, following several days of speculation about the potential candidate for the post.
The outgoing prime minister expressed confidence in Kakar, stating that the choice of the upcoming caretaker PM proves their proper selection as someone who is educated and a patriot. He expressed his belief that Kakar will ensure fair elections.
Earlier in the day, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani accepted Kakar’s resignation from the upper house of Parliament. Kakar had also resigned from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), which he founded in 2018, and the Senate. Geo News reported that Kakar resigned to maintain his impartiality as the interim premier responsible for conducting free and fair elections in collaboration with the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Anwaarul Haq Kakar, hailing from Qilla Saifullah, is one of the original architects of the Balochistan Awami Party. He is the second person from Balochistan to lead the interim set-up after Mir Hazar Khoso in 2013. Kakar’s term in the Senate is set to conclude in March 2024.
Despite not coming from a traditional political family, Kakar has been involved in politics through his relatives. He made his electoral debut in 2008, contesting on a PML-Q ticket but later joining the PML-N. In 2018, he played a key role in a no-trust vote against the PML-N chief minister, becoming a senator as an independent candidate. He then formed the Balochistan Awami Party, which formed the government in Balochistan after the 2018 elections.
Kakar is fluent in several languages, including English, Persian, Balochi, Brahvi, Urdu, and Pashto, and holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and Political Science.
Overall, Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s swearing-in as Pakistan’s 8th interim prime minister marks a crucial step in the country’s political landscape as it approaches fair and transparent elections.