Who Is Anwaar-Ul-Haq Kakar? Pakistan Senator Named Caretaker PM Ahead Of Elections

Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, a representative from Balochistan, has been appointed as the interim Prime Minister of Pakistan, according to an official statement from the Prime Minister's Office as reported by Geo News.

The announcement comes at a time when a consensus reached between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and outgoing Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA), Raja Riaz, regarding the selection of Anwaarul Haq Kakar for the prestigious position in a meeting held today.

In a press release issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), it was stated that PM Shehbaz and Riaz have jointly recommended Kakar's appointment as the caretaker prime minister to President Alvi.

Confirming the decision during a media briefing outside the Prime Minister's House after the meeting with PM Shehbaz, Riaz stated,"We had previously agreed that the caretaker PM should be someone from a smaller province and a non-controversial figure. Our goal was to address the feeling of deprivation in smaller provinces. We have now come to a mutual agreement that Anwaarul Haq Kakar will assume the role of caretaker PM."

"I had proposed this name, and the PM has accepted it... We both have endorsed the summary," he informed reporters, adding that Kakar will take the oath as the head of the interim administration tomorrow (Sunday).

Who is Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar?

Anwaarul Haq Kakar was elected as an independent senator from Balochistan in 2018, securing a six-year term that is set to conclude in March 2024.

Concurrently, he held the position of Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, in addition to being a member of various 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, which was established in 2018, within the Senate.

For a significant span of five years, Kakar led in this capacity. However, a mere five months ago, the party opted for new leadership, resulting in his replacement.