Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar from the Balochistan Awami Party has been appointed as the interim prime minister of Pakistan, as announced by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Saturday. This decision was reached after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and outgoing Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz came to a consensus on Kakar’s nomination during a meeting.
The PMO’s press release stated that PM Shehbaz and Riaz have recommended Kakar’s appointment as the caretaker prime minister to President Alvi. Riaz confirmed this development during a media interview outside the Prime Minister’s House, stating, “We had earlier decided that the caretaker PM 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 Anwaarul Haq Kakar will be the caretaker PM. I and the PM have signed on the summary.”
Riaz also mentioned that the discussions regarding the caretaker cabinet did not take place in his meeting with PM Shehbaz. The swearing-in ceremony for Kakar as the head of the interim government is set to take place tomorrow (Sunday).
Introducing Anwaarul Haq Kakar
Anwaarul Haq Kakar was elected as an independent senator from Balochistan in 2018 and holds a six-year term that will conclude in March 2024. He has also served as the chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, as well as a member of the Business Advisory Committee, Finance and Revenue, Foreign Affairs, and Science and Technology. Kakar previously held the position of parliamentary leader for the Balochistan Awami Party before being replaced recently.
The Process of Selecting The Caretaker Prime Minister
The process of appointing the caretaker prime minister began just a day after the premature dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9. PM Shehbaz and Raja Riaz held their first meeting on August 10, during which they exchanged a list of potential candidates for the position. A second round of consultations took place during a dinner hosted by PM Shehbaz for leaders of the outgoing ruling alliance. PM Shehbaz expressed confidence that the name of the interim head of government would be finalized by Saturday.
Sources revealed that PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif had initially pushed for former finance minister Ishaq Dar to be selected as the caretaker premier. If not Dar, then former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was considered. However, Riaz, an independent politician with no political party support, was influenced by another power corridor and advocated for the appointment of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, according to sources. Sanjrani, as well as Dar and Ahsan Iqbal, met with Riaz on Friday.