ISLAMABAD:
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 today, Chairman of the Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani, accepted the resignation of the recently appointed caretaker prime minister, who stepped down from his position in the upper house. The Senate Secretariat issued a notification stating that the chairman had approved the resignation, resulting in the vacant seat as per Article 64, Clause (1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, effective from August 14, 2023.
The announcement of this decision was made a day before the resignation by the caretaker prime minister, who not only left his Senate seat but also resigned from his role within the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). This move is being seen as a deliberate effort to emphasize the impartiality of his new position.
The circumstances surrounding the appointment of the caretaker prime minister, Kakar, have been met with controversy. The decision has strained relations between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M).
Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the leader of BNP-M, expressed concerns on a social media platform (previously Twitter) regarding PML-N’s selection of Kakar as the caretaker prime minister. Mengal criticized the perceived reliance on support from the establishment to address the nation’s challenges. In a letter addressed to PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, Mengal expressed disappointment in the growing trend of politicians seeking the involvement of the establishment to resolve various issues.
Last week, President Dr. Arif Alvi approved Kakar’s appointment as the country’s caretaker prime minister. This decision came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz, agreed on Kakar’s nomination. The premier and the opposition leader finalized Kakar’s name during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House on the same day. They promptly endorsed the recommendation by signing and submitting it to President Alvi for his final approval, which President Alvi granted promptly under Article 224-1A of the Constitution.
