Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was 'surprise' candidate for many in Pakistan's ruling coalition, says politician

Anwarul Haq Kakar, the first-time senator who has been appointed as Pakistan's caretaker prime minister, was a "surprise" candidate for many in the ruling coalition and even those who signed the summary of his nomination were unaware of his candidature, according to a media report on Sunday.

Kakar's name was agreed upon during the final day of consultations between outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Leader of Opposition in the dissolved National Assembly, Raja Riaz Ahmad, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

Kakar, 52, is an ethnic Pushtun from Balochistan and a member of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) -- a party considered close to the powerful establishment of the country.

"Kakar’s name came from somewhere else and it had to be accepted by all stakeholders,” a member of the outgoing ruling coalition was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper. The politician was apparently referring to the powerful military establishment.

Kakar was a "surprise" for many in the alliance; in fact, "even those who signed the summary of Kakar’s nomination too were unaware about Kakar"s name," the politician said while responding to a question.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Shah has admitted that no one was aware that Kakar would become the interim premier.

He said the PPP had proposed three names and they were better options. "We should hope for the best irrespective of the fact where the name (of Kakar) came from," he said.

However, Leader of Opposition Riaz told reporters, “I had given this name and the PM has consented to this name … the PM and I have signed the summary.” Riaz said it had been decided between him and Sharif that they would not disclose other names that remained under consideration.

Both sides had already expressed their “desire that the caretaker prime minister should be from a smaller province”.

BAP Senator Abdul Qadir said his party had been making efforts for the past few days to get Kakar nominated for the office of caretaker premier.

He said that Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani was lobbying for Kakar and had met Sharif, opposition leader Riaz, Pakistan Democratic Movement chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and other senior leaders of PML-N over the past few days.

The delay in nominating a caretaker prime minister was apparently because Riaz, generally believed to be a “friendly opposition leader”, came out to be a different man, as he had been insisting on his candidate instead of agreeing to the names suggested by the PML-N.

Under Provision of Article 224 (1A) of the Constitution, the president appoints the caretaker prime minister in consultation with the prime minister and leader of the opposition in the outgoing National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament.

Kakar on Sunday announced that he would resign as a member of the upper house of Parliament as well as his party.

“Owing to the fundamental responsibility conferred upon me as the caretaker prime minister, I have decided to surrender my membership of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and relinquish my Senate position.

“Prayers requested from everyone,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Some political observers have expressed reservations over Kakar’s purported closeness to the establishment. Kakar was one of the founding members of the BAP, which is thought to have the backing of the country’s establishment.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Sharif congratulated Kakar and expressed confidence that he would ensure free, fair and impartial elections.

Kakar was elected to the Senate in 2018 and has been a very active politician. He also served as the spokesperson of the Balochistan provincial government before his election to the upper house.

Born in 1971 in the Muslim Bagh area of Qila Saifullah district of Balochistan. He holds a Master's degree in Political Science, Sociology and is an alumnus of the University of Balochistan.

The appointment of an interim government is a constitutional requirement and the outgoing prime minister is bound to choose his successor in consultation with the leader of the opposition within three days of the end of the National Assembly.

Kakar will assume charge when Pakistan is facing its worst economic crisis since independence in 1947. Pakistan's economy, which was already struggling due to financial mismanagement and political uncertainty, has been pushed to the brink by a global energy crisis and devastating floods that hit the country last year.

He will have to implement the tough conditions set by the International Monetary Fund when it approved a USD 3 billion staff-level bailout agreement with Pakistan in June.