Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar sworn in as Pakistan’s new caretaker PM: Who is he?

Pakistan has a new prime minister, albeit a caretaker prime minister in Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. A former senator and ex-Balochistan Awami Party member – he resigned earlier in the morning – Kakar was sworn in as the eighth interim prime minister of Pakistan at the Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad. Kakar, clad in a grey suit, was administered the oath by President Arif Alvi in a ceremony, which coincided with Pakistan’s Independence Day. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Nadeem Raza and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Kakar was named as interim prime minister on Saturday, following meetings between Sharif and former opposition leader Raja Riaz and several days of speculation about the probable choice for the post. In a statement issued on Sunday, Sharif had expressed confidence that Kakar would ensure fair elections. He said the “trust reposed by all parties in Kakar’s name proves their proper choice as the upcoming caretaker PM is an educated person and a patriot”. Who is Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar? As he takes control of Pakistan’s administration, let’s take a closer look at who he is. Kakar (71) hails from the Qilla Saifullah area of Balochistan and is an ethnic Pashtun. He speaks fluent English, Persian, Balochi, Brahvi, and Urdu, as well as his native Pashto. According to the channel Geo News, Kakar studied in the city of Quetta and later went to London for his higher education, returning to Pakistan in 2005. Interestingly, Kakar began his political career with the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) but left it after the end of the Nawaz government as a result of a military coup by the late General Pervez Musharraf in 1999. Kakar was elected to the Senate in 2018 and has been a very active politician. He also served as the spokesperson of the Balochistan provincial government before his election to the upper house. Kakar also played a pivotal role in co-founding the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), a new political entity. Multiple reports have stated that the 71-year-old is known for his close relationship with the military establishment. In the Senate, Kakar has had multiple roles; he was the chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, he was a member of the Business Advisory Committee, Finance and Revenue, Foreign Affairs and Science and Technology. [caption id=“attachment_12997612” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A man reads a newspaper, a day after Pakistan’s parliament was dissolved by the president on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice, at a makeshift stall in Karachi, Pakistan. Reuters[/caption] Why was Kakar been named as interim PM? Kakar being appointed as the caretaker PM comes after the dissolution of the National Assembly on 9 August. In Pakistan, once a government’s term ends, a caretaker must be established to oversee the next general elections. Kakar’s name for interim PM came as a surprise to many, as he is considered a relative unknown. A member of the outgoing ruling coalition told The Dawn that Kakar’s name “came from somewhere else and it had to be accepted by all stakeholders”. The politician was apparently referring to the powerful military establishment. On his appointment, the party of former prime minister Imran Khan, who is currently in jail and barred from contesting elections for five years following his conviction for corruption in the Toshakhana case , expressed hope that Kakar would ensure free, fair and credible elections. “If there are questions over the credibility of elections, there will be no political stability, which is critical for economic certainty,” former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is currently leading Khan’s party, said in a TV interview. What are the major challenges awaiting Kakar? Simply put, the biggest challenge for Kakar as caretaker PM would be to hold elections on time . The caretaker government, as per Pakistan’s constitution, must hold elections within 90 days. However, after the outgoing government approved a new census in its final days, new electoral boundaries must be drawn up by the Election Commission. This exercise in a country of 241 million people may take at least six months or more. Moreover, it may also involve litigation by candidates over the new formations of the constituencies, which could further push back the poll dates. Economic stabilisation is another challenge; Pakistan’s economy is in the doldrums and was on the verge of a debt default before the International Monetary Fund bailed the nation out. The ongoing political turmoil with the Imran Khan party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is another matter that political pundits have flagged. With inputs from agencies