After Naqvi, Kakar also vies for Senate seat

Former caretaker premier served as senator from Balochistan

QUETTA:

A day after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi entered the race for the upcoming Senate elections, former caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar also made a significant move on Saturday, submitting his nomination papers for the upper house seat from Balochistan.

His candidacy documents were formally submitted by Senator Danesh Kumar of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

This marks Kakar's re-entry into the political arena after previously serving as a senator from Balochistan. He had resigned from his senatorial position upon assuming the role of caretaker prime minister.

The submission of Kakar's nomination papers adds an intriguing dynamic to the political landscape of Balochistan, which is gearing up for Senate elections on April 2.

A total of 36 candidates, including prominent figures such as Aimal Wali Khan, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa president of the Awami National Party (ANP), and Maulana Abdul Wasey of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), have thrown their hats into the ring for the 11 Senate seats in Balochistan.

Also read: Senate nomination filing begins today

Aimal’s decision to seek political refuge in Balochistan, following in the footsteps of Maulana Fazalur Rehman, underscores the strategic significance of the province in the political dynamics of the country. It reflects a calculated move by prominent figures to ensure their representation in the upper house of the parliament.

Aimal is also backed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Similarly, Jan Muhammad Buledi of the National Party is also backed by the PPP. The two parties including the ANP and NP had voted for President Asif Ali Zardari in the recently held presidential elections.

As the Senate elections draw closer, all eyes will be on Balochistan, where the political manoeuvres and alliances formed in the run-up to the polls will shape the future trajectory of the province and the country at large.