Balochistan Awami Party senator chosen as caretaker PM of Pakistan

New Delhi: In a much-awaited announcement, Anwaarul Haq Kakar, a senator from the Balochistan Awami Party, has been named the interim prime minister of Pakistan, as confirmed by the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Saturday.

This decision comes after discussions between Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the outgoing Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA), Raja Riaz. They reached an agreement on Kakar’s appointment for this important role during a meeting today.

The Pakistan PMO issued a press release stating that both PM Shehbaz and Raja Riaz sent their recommendation for Kakar’s appointment as the interim prime minister to President Arif Alvi. Following this, the president approved their recommendation in line with Article 224 A of the Constitution.

Pakistan media reported that earlier, Raja Riaz spoke to the media outside the Prime Minister’s House after his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz. He confirmed the decision, saying, “We had previously decided that the caretaker PM should come from a smaller province and should be a non-controversial figure. Our aim was to address the feeling of neglect in smaller provinces. We have now agreed that Anwaarul Haq Kakar will be the caretaker PM.”

He also revealed that both he and the PM had signed off on this choice, and Kakar would be sworn in as the head of the interim government on Sunday. Raja Riaz also mentioned that they did not discuss the makeup of the caretaker cabinet during his meeting with PM Shehbaz.

Who is Anwaarul Haq Kakar?

Anwaarul Haq Kakar became an independent senator from Balochistan in 2018, securing a six-year term that will end in March 2024. He also held the position of chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. Additionally, he was a member of several committees, including Business Advisory, Finance and Revenue, Foreign Affairs, and Science and Technology. Kakar also served as the parliamentary leader for the Balochistan Awami Party in the Senate.

The Process of Choosing the Caretaker Premier

The process to select the interim prime minister began a day after the National Assembly was dissolved on August 9. The first meeting between PM Shehbaz and Raja Riaz took place on August 10, during which they exchanged a list of potential candidates for the role.

Further consultations occurred during a dinner hosted by PM Shehbaz for leaders of the outgoing ruling alliance. Following this, PM Shehbaz expressed confidence that the interim prime minister's name would be finalized by Saturday.

Pakistan media suggested that the delay in choosing a caretaker prime minister was due to differences between Raja Riaz and PM Shehbaz. It was reported that Raja Riaz, who was thought to be a cooperative opposition leader, insisted on his candidate rather than agreeing to names proposed by the PML-N. Sources claimed that Nawaz Sharif, through PM Shehbaz, advocated for former finance minister Ishaq Dar or former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. On the other hand, Raja Riaz, a PTI dissident without party support, favoured Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani for the position.

The caretaker government is for ninety days but as elections are likely to be postponed hence the caretaker government will rule for at least six to eight months in Pakistan.