Anwaarul Haq Kakar, a senator from the Balochistan Awami Party who was previously unknown, appears to be the compromise choice between outgoing prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz. This decision was unexpected given the significantly stronger candidates who were in the running for the position.
After reaching an understanding with Mr. Sharif, Mr. Riaz stated, “We had earlier decided that the caretaker PM should be someone from a smaller province and a non-controversial personality.” “Our goal was to eliminate the sense of want in small provinces,” As a result, Mr. Kakar will act as Pakistan’s ninth acting prime minister, having been given the responsibility by the two men to lead the nation until the return of delegates chosen by the general public. His decision will surely be examined and reexamined in the coming days as its consequences for the nation are examined in light of the uncertainties surrounding the impending elections. Whatever the final decision may be, one might start by thinking about certain advantages. Mr. Kakar is a member of a political party that has collaborated with the PTI and PDM. Even though BAP is frequently seen as being supported by the military establishment, he is now the most politically non-controversial and popular option available. In fact, even PTI representatives appear to have agreed that his appointment was a good one overall.
This would imply that Mr. Sharif and Mr. Riaz ultimately made the right decision in spite of all their hesitations. Another reason to rejoice is that Mr. Kakar represents Balochistan. He might add a viewpoint to the position that has so far been lacking. Will those two things, though, be sufficient for what seems to be a rather demanding job? One can only hope that Mr. Kakar will demonstrate his worth. He must take all action in his power to rule out this scenario. Making ensuring that delimitations under the recently-notified census are finished as soon as possible will be the largest issue. Maybe he might start by making sure the ECP has everything it needs to finish this job without jeopardising constitutional deadlines any further.
According to anecdotal evidence, Mr. Kakar might be under pressure to stay longer than the law would permit. Any such suggestion should be rejected. He must keep his attention on the task at hand, which is to hold free and fair elections within the Constitution’s allotted 90-day window.
