Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar named as 8th caretaker prime minister of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Amid a high-stake and nerve-racking political maneuver, Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar has been named as the caretaker prime minister following the final round of consultations between outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz held on Saturday.

He was nominated to be the caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan by the opposition leader and the Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif. The president Arif Alvi signed the summary, making him the 8th Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan.

A statement issued to this effect from the Prime Minister’s Office said the final session of deliberations between Shehbaz Sharif and Raja Riaz was successful and the two agreed on Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s name for the top job.

“The prime minister and leader of the opposition jointly signed the advice and it was sent to the president,” the PMO stated.

Anwaarul Haq Kakar was elected to the Senate, upper house of the parliament of Pakistan, as an independent candidate on a general seat from Balochistan in 2018 Senate election. He took oath as Senator on 12 March 2018.

Senator Kakar had co-launched a new political party, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

Outgoing premier Shehbaz also thanked outgoing opposition leader Raja Riaz for his cooperation during the consultation process and for his excellent leadership skills during the past 16 months.

Former federal information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also confirmed that Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar will take over as the interim premier.

On August 9, President Dr Arif Alvi had dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of the incumbent premier, setting the stage for fresh general elections by November 9.

The Constitution gives a 90-day window for holding the elections upon the dissolution of the assembly before the end of its five-year term. The National Assembly was scheduled to complete its term on Aug 12 but the prime minister, while using his powers under Article 58(1) sought the dissolution three days early. – Our reporter/news agencies contributed to this report