On Saturday, Anwar ul Haq Kakar took on the role of Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister. This comes with steering the nation through a politically impartial phase until the next general election. His predecessor, Shehbaz Sharif, stepped aside to pave the way for this transition. Let’s delve into who Anwar ul Haq Kakar is.
Kakar entered Pakistan’s Senate as an independent candidate representing Balochistan in the 2018 Senate elections. During his tenure, he chaired the Committee of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, and was also a member of several other committees such as Business Advisory, Finance and Revenue, Foreign Affairs, and Science and Technology.
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Kakar played a pivotal role in co-founding the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), a new political entity. His nomination as the caretaker PM has endorsements from both the outgoing opposition leader and the departing PM, Shehbaz Sharif. This endorsement led to him becoming the 8th Caretaker Prime Minister of the country, following the president’s Arif Alvi’s approval.
His official swearing-in ceremony will take place on Pakistan’s 76th Independence Day, August 14, 2023. On the same date, he also resigned from his position as a senator, a resignation that was promptly accepted by the Chairman of the Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani.
Anwar ul Haq Kakar hails from the Kakar tribe, a group of Pashtuns primarily located in Northern Balochistan. Beyond his political engagement, Kakar has ties with various think-tanks contributing to Pakistan’s foreign policy discussions.
He possesses a keen insight into the geopolitics of South Asia, particularly the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kakar also imparts his knowledge as a visiting faculty member at the Command and Staff College in Quetta and the National Defence University in Islamabad, where he delivers lectures on International Relations.
His linguistic abilities are impressive, with fluency in Pashto, Urdu, Persian, English, Balochi, and Brahvi languages. Kakar’s current committee memberships include the Chairperson of the Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Committee, along with memberships in the Business Advisory, Finance and Revenue, Foreign Affairs, and Science and Technology committees.
