Anwarul Haq Kakar has been chosen as the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan. The Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz, shared this news on Saturday. He revealed this information during a conversation with the media outside the Prime Minister’s House after final discussions between the opposition leader and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“We had agreed earlier that the interim PM should be from a smaller province. We have agreed on Anwarul Haq Kakar as the interim PM,” Riaz explained. “I suggested this name, and the PM has accepted it… Both the PM and I have signed the summary.” He mentioned that Kakar will take the oath as the head of the temporary setup on Sunday.
PM Shehbaz had earlier expressed confidence that the interim prime minister’s name would be decided by Saturday. He held discussions and a dinner with the leaders of the outgoing ruling alliance for consultations.
Sources familiar with the political situation claimed that the delay in selecting an interim prime minister was due to disagreements between Raja Riaz and the PML-N. While Nawaz Sharif, through PM Shehbaz Sharif, suggested Ishaq Dar or Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Riaz, an independent dissident, reportedly favored Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.
Additionally, a rift between President Arif Alvi and PM Shehbaz reemerged when the president urged the appointment of an interim prime minister within 24 hours. President Alvi reminded PM Shehbaz and Mr. Riaz about the process for selecting the interim premier as per the Constitution. PM Shehbaz expressed his discontent with the letter, stating that the president lacked understanding of the constitutional procedure for this appointment.
Who is Anwaarul Haq Kakar?
Kakar started his journey as a senator in 2018, securing a six-year term that will end in March 2024. At the same time, he took on the responsibility of leading the Balochistan Awami Party within the Senate. He held this leadership role for five years. However, just five months ago, the party decided to choose new leadership, resulting in his replacement.
