This decision was made by Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Raja Riaz after repeated rounds of consultations.
President Arif Alvi named him the 8th Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan.
“We had earlier decided that the caretaker PM should be someone from a smaller province and a non-controversial personality. Our aim was to remove the sense of deprivation in small provinces,” Raja Riaz noted.
So, who is Anwaar ul Haq Kakar?
He was born in 1971 in Muslim Bagh (Balochistan). Interestingly, he belongs to the Kakar tribe of Pashtuns, one of the biggest tribes, scattered across Northern Balochistan.
Kakar’s Educational Journey
Kakar got his primary education at St. Francis School, Quetta, he then went on to enrol in Cadet College Kohat. After his father’s death, he returned to Quetta and earned a Master’s degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Balochistan.
Career Path: How Kakar Entered Politics
Kakar started his career as a school teacher and a reporter for various newspapers and magazines. He also worked for Pakistan TV and Radio Pakistan.
In the 1990s, he became a member of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), which supported the autonomy of Balochistan, and also served as the spokesman of the Government of Balochistan from 2015 to 2017.
Owing to Kakar’s connections with Pakistan’s Awami Party (PAP) he is known for his close relationship with the military establishment.
Anwaar-ul-haq Kakar is one of the founders of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) (The people's party of Balochistan) that was established in 2018, representing the largest and the most powerful party in Balochistan, positioning itself as political force that protects the interests of both Pashtuns and Balochs. Anwaar ul Haq Kakar also took over the role of parliamentary leader for BAP in the Senate.
Anwaar-ul-haq Kakar led the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, besides promoting BAP.
He is also a member of a number of committees:
Business Advisory Committee
Finance and Revenue
Foreign Affairs
Science and Technology
Political Views
Kakar supports dialogue between political forces and ethnic groups. As a member of the Kakar tribe of Pashtun ethnicity, he represents both Pashtuns and Balochs.
The new caretaker PM has good relationships with the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N), representing a centre-right, liberal conservative political party and centre-left, social-democratic political party, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). “The senator also enjoys good ties with the mainstream political parties, including PML-N and PPP,” senior anchorperson Hamid Mir said.
Anwaar ul Haq Kakar favours fostering peaceful and good-neighbourly relations, and having an open dialogue with regional partners, including India. He also advocated for balanced ties with both Russia, China and the US, with the expectation of constructing bilateral relationships.
Anwaar ul Haq Kakar headed an international conference in Moscow, held by Institute of Oriental Studies at the Pakistan Embassy to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Pakistan, which ran from 22-23 May 2023.
Participants of the conference noted the development of bilateral cooperation in the diplomatic and economic sphere, proposing ways of further strengthening relations between countries during the conference.