Pakistan senator Anwaar-ul-haq Kakar has been named as caretaker prime minister to oversee national elections, the prime minister's office said on Saturday. This makes him the country's eighth caretaker PM. This appointment was finalized during meeting between outgoing premier Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz after President Arif Alvi gave the duo an ultimatum to find a "suitable person" for the post by Saturday.
President Alvi dissolved the National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan Parliament, on PM Sharif's advice on August 9. In a letter to both Sharif and Riaz, Alvi said that under Article 224A, they should propose a name for interim PM within three days.
Earlier reports said that Sharif allegedly wanted to stay in office till August 14 so he could preside the flag-hoisting ceremony on Independence Day.
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, former diplomat Jalil Abbas Jilani, former Tassaduq Hussain Jilani, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, former finance ministers Hafeez Sheikh and Ishaq Dar, former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and ex-Principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad were among the names floated by various political parties ahead of the final decision.
However, Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party did not reveal its candidate until the last minute and kept everyone guessing.
According to Pakistani PMO press release, PM Shehbaz and Riaz have sent an advice regarding Kakar’s appointment as the caretaker prime minister to President Alvi.
“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,” The Dawn newspaper quoted Riaz as saying.
Who is Anwaar-ul-haq Kakar?
Kakar became a senator in 2018. His six-year term was to end in March 2024. He co-launched a new political party, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), and is also the parliamentary leader for the BAP within the Senate, Dawn reported.
-- with PTI inputs
