Anwaarul Haq Kakar sworn in as caretaker PM of Pakistan
Islamabad, The Gulf Observer: Former senator and ex-Balochistan Awami Party member Anwaarul Haq Kakar was sworn in on Monday as the eighth interim prime minister of Pakistan.
President Arif Alvi administered the oath of office to Kakar at the Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad.
Earlier in the day, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani had accepted the resignation of the newly appointed caretaker prime minister after he resigned from his upper house seat.
A notification issued by the Senate Secretariat said “chairman Senate has been pleased to accept the resignation and consequently his seat has become vacant in terms of clause (1) of Article 64 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan with effect from 14th August, 2023”.
The announcement by Kakar was made a day earlier as he not only relinquished his Senate seat but also resigned from his position within the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).
This decision is being interpreted as a deliberate move to underscore the impartiality of his new role.
The circumstances surrounding Kakar’s appointment have not been devoid of controversy. The decision has already strained relations between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M).
Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the head of BNP-M, expressed reservations on X, formerly Twitter, regarding the PML-N’s selection of Kakar as the caretaker prime minister and the perceived reliance on establishment support to address the nation’s challenges.
In a letter addressed to PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, Mengal lamented the trend of politicians seeking the establishment’s involvement in resolving various issues.
Last week, President Dr. Arif Alvi approved Kakar’s appointment as the country’s caretaker prime minister after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz agreed on his nomination.
The premier and opposition leader finalised Kakar’s name during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House earlier that day. They promptly signed and submitted the recommendation to the president for final endorsement, which President Alvi promptly granted under Article 224-1A of the Constitution.
