Interim cabinet

All eyes on caretaker set-up as the country holds on by the skin of its teeth

The 18-member cabinet of Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar is an earnest collection of talent. The former senator, it seems, has come up with some good homework as the stalwarts range from technocrats par excellence to distinguished people in civil service. The inclusion of Dr Shamshad Akhtar, former Governor State Bank, former foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, and media icon Aneeq Ahmed simply hints at stress on professionalism and expertise, as they go on to deliver a critical task of setting semblance in governance. Likewise, tech-guru Umar Saif and reputed journalist Murtaza Solangi are other valuable saner additions, along with Gohar Ijaz and Anwar Ali Haider, who will be pooling in a mosaic of goodwill and capacity building.

The caretaker set-up, which has come on the heels of abject political instability, is closely being watched for its agenda and wavelength. The point is that Kakar has assumed the high office on an ambiguous note, and there is an uncertainty in the air whether elections will be held in the constitutionally stipulated time-frame of 90 days or not. The Election Commission has added fuel to such speculations by saying that the process of constituencies’ delimitations on the basis of Census 2023 will take a while, and no timeline has been promptly posted to this day. The confusion must settle down as the cabinet meets and deliberates on the agenda at hand. At the same time, the panel of wise men are in need of taking a call on the state of dilapidated economy, as well as the plummeting security scenario.

Kakar is in the spotlight, and it is an opportunity for him to walk the talk. Since he has been a strong advocate of a working relationship between the civil and military strata when it comes to nation-building, and is well aware of the jaundice which the nation-state is afflicted with, he is expected to put the derailed bandwagon on track. Holding of free and fair elections by getting along with all the organs of the state will be a great service, and in doing so he must exhibit compassion in taking along political forces in toto.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2023.

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