First Pakhtun and youngest caretaker PM of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has been appointed as the first Pakhtun Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan. Until a day ago, there were rumors and speculations about the caretaker prime minister in political and other circles of Islamabad. In recent days, more than half a dozen candidates were assumed to be in the race, including those associated with the PPP and PMLN.

However, a source in Islamabad had revealed in a conversation a day ago that Mian Shehbaz Sharif may give a surprise regarding the caretaker PM, and then he suggested the name of Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq. Who is Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar? What is his profile? Few people may know, but he is the youngest caretaker prime minister of Pakistan. His father, Ihtishamul Haq Kakar, started his career as a Tehsildar and held various government positions. Anwaar’s grandfather was a physician to the Khan of Kalat before the establishment of Pakistan. Anwaar-ul-Haq is one of the founders of the Balochistan Awami Party. After the insurgency in Balochistan, he strongly advocated the state narrative. He became a senator of the Balochistan Awami Party in 2018. He is the second caretaker prime minister from Balochistan and has a distinguished identity in academic, literary and social circles of the country. As the eighth caretaker prime minister of the country, he hails from Quetta and was born in 1971 in the Muslim Bagh area of Balochistan.

Kakar received his primary education from the Saint Francis High School, Quetta, after which he enrolled in the Cadet College, Kohat, but returned to Quetta after the death of his father. He studied at the University of Balochistan and did his Master’s in Political Science and Sociology. He started his career by teaching in his native school.

In 2008, Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq contested the National Assembly election from Quetta on a Q-League ticket but lost. He was the spokesperson for the government while he played a key role in the formation of the Balochistan Awami Party. He was elected as a senator in 2018 and he is the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee of Overseas Pakistanis.

Kakar ran an NGO called the Voice of Balochistan, which encouraged the youth of Balochistan to join the national stream of development through intellectual maturity and education. It was a social organization in which Senator Sana Jamali was also involved.

Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar spent most of his time in the library of the Senate and National Assembly. He holds special interest in books related to Pakistan’s political, social and security issues and their solutions.

He also lectured on security issues at the National Defence University (NDU) and effectively presented the case of Balochistan at various forums. He was also involved in discussions on national issues with excellent suggestions in the Foreign Relations and Defence Affairs Committee. He is widely perceived to be a well-educated, well-informed personality.

He joined Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed in a lecture on Pakistan and Balochistan issues at London University last year. He is a big supporter of CPEC.

Some circles in Islamabad confidently say that his name was not included in any political list and no major party proposed his name. Kakar met Maryam Nawaz in Lahore this year but did not join the party.