Who is newly appointed interim PM?

Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s appointment comes with less than a year left in completion of his six-year term in Senate

QUETTA:

Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar has been named as the caretaker premier following consultation between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and outgoing Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Raja Riaz.

The appointment was approved by President Arif Alvi under Article 224(1A) of the Constitution.

His nomination comes with less than a year left in the completion of his six-year term in Senate which is scheduled to end in March 2024.

Kakar belongs to the Kan Mitarzai area of Killa Saifullah, Balochistan.

He started his political career with the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) ticket and contested elections from Quetta in 2008 but lost.

Read more: Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar named caretaker PM

In 2015, during the tenure of Nawab Sanaullah Zehri as chief minister, he was appointed as the spokesperson for the Balochistan government after a coalition of the PML-N and nationalist parties formed government in the province in 2013.

In 2017, he was among a group of dissident PML-N members who formed the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and became the central spokesperson for the party.

With the support of PML-N MPAs, he was elected as senator for six years in 2018.

Kakar had been a member of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Parliamentary Affairs, and the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources.

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He is considered among the pro-establishment politicians in the social and political circles of Balochistan. He had been a part of the negotiation process with the Baloch rebels, and also founded NGO named "Voice of Balochistan," which propagates against the dominant nationalist narrative in Balochistan.

He holds a masters degree in political science and sociology from the University of Balochistan.

Daily Azadi Quetta Editor Asif Baloch maintained that Kakar's appointment would be beneficial for the pro-establishment narrative in the country, especially in Balochistan, as he always remained in the good books of the powers that be.

"He has always been at the forefront against the nationalist movement in Balochistan," he added.

Baloch mentioned that BAP was the brainchild of Kakar with their motto being "Balochistan kay faislay Balochistan main (decisions about Balochistan to be made in Balochistan)," but noted that “in reality, all decisions continued to be made in Islamabad”.

With the appointment of Kakar, the newsman expressed his scepticism about the upcoming general election that are scheduled to take place in November, saying, "I don't see polls being held soon, and his (Kakar’s) appointment will be a lengthy one, resulting in an increase in activity against the nationalists".

"Mr Kakar and his NGO, Voice of Balochistan, have consistently tried to promote a narrative that starkly contradicts the ongoing human rights violations in Balochistan, including the issue of missing persons," he added.

Senior journalist and Quetta Press Club President Khaliq Rind said, "his political career and associations with various parties stand as a testament to his political narrative, which require no further explanation".

Rind maintained that Kakar is a “sensible politician, and his appointment is positive for Balochistan”.