Pakistani senator appointed caretaker PM until elections

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
12 Aug 2023 21:46

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar a Pakistani senator, described as a lightweight politician, has been appointed to be caretaker prime minister while the country goes through significant political turbulence.

The National Assembly building in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, June 20, 2022 (AP)

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, a relatively unknown senator hailing from Pakistan's least-populous province of Balochistan, has been designated as the caretaker prime minister to lead the country till the next elections, which are due in November.

President Arif Alvi announced Kakar's appointment as caretaker PM, making him the chosen candidate of the departing coalition government of Shehbaz Sharif and Raja Riaz Ahmad.

Assuming this vital role, Kakar steps into a country riddled with political and economic turbulence, compounded by the incarceration of Imran Khan, one of Pakistan's most prominent political figures.

In an interview with AFP, political analyst Hasan Askari Rizvi said that Kakar "has a limited political career and not much weight in Pakistani politics", but that could work in his favor.

"This can be an advantage because he has no strong affiliation with the major political parties," he said.

"But the disadvantage is that being a lightweight politician he may find it difficult to cope with the problems he's going to face without the active support of the military establishment."

Last week, a court in Islamabad issued a sentencing for former prime minister Imran Khan of three years in jail, alongside disqualifying him from politics for “corrupt practices” for 5 years.

Khan was escorted by police from his home in Lahore after a ruling in the Toshakaha case came out, in which he was accused of illegally selling gifts worth hundreds of millions of rupees, that were originally intended for the state.

Khan’s lawyer argued that the ruling would be appealed against and called the case one of "political victimization.”

“Khan was not given an opportunity to defend himself and say his side of the story,” he said, adding, “We wanted to provide witnesses in his favor, but he was not allowed this opportunity. Khan was not given a fair trial.”

Earlier this week, Pakistan's parliament was dissolved, paving the way for the interim government to be selected to supervise the upcoming elections.

Imran Khan, who is currently the country's most popular politician, will be excluded from the elections.