Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar
انوار الحق کاکڑ
Kakar in 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan
Assumed office
14 August 2023
PresidentArif Alvi
Preceded byShehbaz Sharif
Member of the Senate of Pakistan
In office
12 March 2018 – 13 August 2023
ConstituencyGeneral seat from Balochistan
Spokeperson of the Government of Balochistan
In office
2015–2017
GovernorMuhammad Khan Achakzai
Personal details
Born (1971-05-15) 15 May 1971
Muslim Bagh, Qilla Saifullah, Balochistan, Pakistan
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Pakistan Muslim League (N) (until 2002)[1]
Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (until 2018)
Balochistan Awami Party (2018–2023)[2]
EducationCadet College Kohat
Alma materUniversity of Balochistan

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar (Urdu: انوار الحق کاکڑ; Pashto: انوار الحق کاکړ‎; born 1971) is a Pakistani politician who is currently serving as the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan, in office since August 2023. He succeeded Shehbaz Sharif.[3] He previously served as the spokesperson of the Government of Balochistan from 2015 to 2017.

Early life and education

Kakar was born on 15 May 1971 in Qilla Saifullah, Balochistan into a prominent middle-class Pashtun family: his grandfather Dr Noor Ul Haq Kakar was the personal physician of the Khan of Kalat, his father Ihtishamul Haq Kakar was a civil servant while his maternal uncle Arbab Yousaf Kasi and other relatives have been involved in politics.[4] The Kakar tribe to which he belongs is considered to be particularly influential in the northern parts of Balochistan.[5]

Kakar was educated at St. Francis School, Quetta and later attended Cadet College Kohat.[6] He holds a master's degree in political science and sociology, which he completed at the University of Balochistan in the 1990s.[6][7] He further attempted to study law at Birkbeck, University of London in the United Kingdom but did not complete the program.[7][5]

He returned to Pakistan in 2005.[7][5]

Academic career

Kakar started his career as a teacher.[6][8]

Kakar is also involved with various think tanks formulating Pakistan's foreign policy and is a keen observer of the geopolitics of South Asia, especially, Afghanistan-Pakistan relations. He is also on the visiting faculty of Command and Staff College, Quetta and National Defence University, Islamabad where Kakar delivers lecture on International Relations.[9]

Kakar is fluent in Pashto, Urdu, Persian, English, Balochi and Brahui.[9]

Political career

Senator, 2006–2023

Kakar began his political career when he joined PML-Q in 2006.[5] He contested a seat in the National Assembly from Quetta in the 2008 general election but was unsuccessful.[7][5]

Kakar supported military actions in Balochistan during the ethnic nationalist insurgency from 2007 to 2013, often dismissing allegations of military abuses in the province and attributing unrest to external factors.[5][10] In December 2015, his stance led to his appointment as the spokesperson for the Chief Minister of Balochistan during the tenure of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) government, a position he held until 2018.[7][5]

In 2018, Kakar left PML-N and helped found a new political party named Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).[7][11] Later, he was elected to the Senate of Pakistan as an independent candidate for a general seat from Balochistan in 2018 Pakistani Senate election.[12][13] He took oath as Senator on 12 March 2018.[14] He also remained Chairperson for the Committee of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development and members of other committees including the Business Advisory Committee, Finance and Revenue, Foreign Affairs, Science and Technology.[15]

In 2020, Kakar was briefly considered for the position of Federal Minister of Information in Imran Khan's government, but he was ultimately not appointed.[7]

Caretaker Premiership, 2023–Present

Kakar with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in November 2023

In 2023, Kakar was nominated to serve as Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan by the outgoing opposition leader and the outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The president Arif Alvi signed on the summary making him the 8th Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan. He took oath on the 76th independence day of Pakistan, 14 August 2023.[16] He resigned from the Senate on 14 August 2023 and on the same day, his resignation was accepted by the Chairman of the Senate Sadiq Sanjrani.[17]

In October 2023, he called for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war.[18] In November 2023, Kakar said that "We are witnessing a holocaust of Palestinian children in Gaza. This appalling and atrocious children holocaust must stop immediately."[19]

Kakar Cabinet
Shamshad Akhtar ● Minister of Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs
Jalil Abbas Jilani ● Minister for Foreign Affairs
Anwar Ali Hyder ● Minister of Defence
● Minister of Defence Production
Sarfraz Bugti ● Minister of Interior
● Minister of Norcotics Control
● Minister of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development
Gohar Ejaz ● Minister for Commerce
● Minister of Industries and Production
Ahmad Irfan Aslam ● Minister for Law and Justice
● Minister of Climate Change
● Minister of Water Resources
Khalil Francis ● Minister for Human Rights
Sami Saeed ● Minister of Planning Development & Special Initiatives
Shahid Ashraf Tarar ● Minister of Communications
● Minister of Maritime Affairs
● Minister of Railways
Murtaza Solangi ● Minister of Information and Broadcasting
Muhammad Ali ● Minister of Energy
● Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Division
Madad Ali Sindhi ● Minister of Federal Education and Professional Training
Nadeem Jan ● Minister of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination
Aneeq Ahmad ● Minister of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony
Umar Saif ● Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication
● Minister of Science and Technology
Jamal Shah ● Minister of National Heritage and Culture
Kauser Abdullah Malik ● Minister of National Food Security & Research
Fawad Hasan Fawad ● Minister of Privatization

Controversies

In 2016, Kakar established the NGO, Voice of Balochistan (VOB), where he served as CEO.[5][20][21] VOB, which was not officially registered until 2021, operated a network of pro-military social media accounts and received funds from the exchequer.[5] The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) initiated an investigation into then-Senator Kakar for alleged corruption related to the NGO, Voice of Balochistan.[22] The investigation, which included a 2021 request by NAB Balochistan for further information from the provincial government, was closed in September 2023 following Kakar's appointment as caretaker prime minister.[22]

Committees

Committee Member: Present Member of Standing Commetties
  • Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (Chairperson Committee)
  • Business Advisory Committee
  • Finance and Revenue
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Science and Technology

References

  1. ↑ "Anwaarul Haq Kakar — the Balochistan senator set to become Pakistan's 8th interim PM". Dawn (newspaper). 12 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "Kakar leaves BAP, Senate seat for neutrality". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 13 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "Anwar Ul Haq Kakar to be the new caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan". Pakistan Observer. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  4. ↑ Shahid, Saleem (August 13, 2023). "'BAP architect' in the driving seat". DAWN.COM.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Baloch, Kiyya (15 August 2023). "What Does Pakistan's New Caretaker Prime Minister Mean for Balochistan?". The Diplomat.
  6. 1 2 3 "Profile: Who is Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar?". The News International.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Aamir, Adnan (14 August 2023). "Who is Anwaar Kakar, Pakistan's new caretaker prime minister?". Nikkei Asia.
  8. ↑ Bagchi, Disha (12 August 2023). "Anwaar-ul Haq Kakar — teacher-turned-politician from Balochistan appointed Pakistan's caretaker PM". The Print.
  9. 1 2 Guramani, Nadir; Khan, Sanaullah (2023-08-12). "BAP's Anwaarul Haq Kakar to be caretaker PM". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  10. ↑ Baloch, Mohammad Zafar (12 August 2023). "Who is newly appointed interim PM?". The Express Tribune.
  11. ↑ "Anwarul Haq Kakar, Saeed Hasmhi launch Balochistan Awami Party". The Express Tribune. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Senate elections: PML-N-backed independent candidates lead in Punjab, PPP in Sindh". The Express Tribune. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  13. ↑ Khan, Iftikhar A. (4 March 2018). "PML-N gains Senate control amid surprise PPP showing". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  14. ↑ "Senate elect opposition-backed Sanjrani chairman and Mandviwala his deputy". The News. 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "Profile: Who is Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar?". The News. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  16. ↑ Khan, Muhammad imran (2023-08-13). "From Pashtun Identity to National Leadership: Senator Kakar's Story". Life In Pakistan. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  17. ↑ Guramani, Nadir (2023-08-14). "Anwaarul Haq Kakar's Senate resignation accepted ahead of swearing-in as interim PM". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  18. ↑ Saifi, Sophia (16 October 2023). "Pakistan's prime minister calls for ceasefire in Gaza amid nationwide pro-Palestinian rallies". CNN.
  19. ↑ "'We are witnessing holocaust of children in Gaza,' says Pakistani premier". Anadolu Agency. 20 November 2023.
  20. ↑ Hussain, Zahid (16 August 2023). "The caretaker project". Dawn.
  21. ↑ "Patron-in-Chief of the Voice of Balochistan". 7 November 2018.
  22. 1 2 Raza, Syed Irfan (26 September 2023). "Case against caretaker PM was closed on merit, says NAB". Dawn.
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