Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar sworn in as Pakistan’s interim Prime Minister

A relatively lesser known senator has been appointed as the interim Prime Minister in Pakistan. The purpose of this appointment is to guide the country until the next election, the Guardian reports.

Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan and opposition leader Raja Riaz reached an agreement to designate Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar as the caretaker Prime Minister.

Kakar, hailing from the southwestern province of Balochistan, will select a cabinet and lead a government with the aim of navigating the nation through an economic and political crisis until a new government is elected.

A statement mentioned: “The Prime Minister [Sharif] and leader of opposition have jointly signed the advice which will be sent to the president for approval.”

Kakar’s role will involve him being the spokesperson for the Balochistan government. He is known to have intimate ties with the military establishment.

Several political leaders and ministers approved his appointment. Nusrat Javeed, a political analyst, said the nomination of Kakar for caretaker prime minister had come from the most powerful institution.

Fawad Chaudhry, the former information minister of Pakistan and a colleague of Kakar, admitted that Pakistan was currently grappling with an upsurge in terrorism, and Kakar was an individual who possessed a deep understanding of the intricate nature of terrorism.

He said: “Kakar’s nomination as caretaker prime minister certainly is something that would not bring joy for the camps of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N and Pakistan People’s party.

“Kakar is someone with a keen eye on international politics. He has very strong connections with right quarters.”

As per Pakistan’s constitution, a nonpartisan interim government is responsible for supervising national elections, which must take place within 90 days following the dissolution of the lower house of parliament. Pakistan’s parliament was dissolved on Wednesday last week, and in this case, that timeframe will end in early November.

The selection of the caretaker Prime Minister holds greater significance on this occasion due to the additional authority granted for making policy choices concerning economic affairs, the Guardian mentioned.