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Anwaar ul Haq Kakar

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Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar (Urdu: انوار الحق کاکڑ; Pashto: انوار الحق کاکړ; born 1971) is a Pakistani politician who served as the longest-serving caretaker prime minister of Pakistan between 14 August 2023 and 4 March 2024. He was succeeded by his predecessor Shehbaz Sharif.[2][3] He assumed membership in the Upper House of Pakistan in March 2018.[4] Before taking on the role of caretaker prime minister, Kakar had resigned from the upper house of parliament. Subsequently, he publicly declared his resignation from both the Senate and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), a political party he established in 2018.[5][6]

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar
انوار الحق کاکڑ
Kakar in 2023
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Caretaker
In office
14 August 2023 – 4 March 2024
PresidentArif Alvi
Preceded byShehbaz Sharif
Succeeded byShehbaz Sharif
Member of the Senate of Pakistan
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 April 2024
ConstituencyGeneral seat from Balochistan
In office
12 March 2018 – 13 August 2023
ConstituencyGeneral seat from Balochistan
Spokesperson of the Government of Balochistan
In office
2015–2018
Personal details
Born (1971-05-15) 15 May 1971 (age 53)
Muslim Bagh, Qilla Saifullah, Balochistan, Pakistan
Political partyIndependent (2024-present)
Other political
affiliations
Alma mater
Occupation

Kakar also served as the spokesperson of the Government of Balochistan from 2015 to 2017.

Early life and education

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Kakar was born on 15 May 1971 in Qilla Saifullah, Balochistan into a prominent middle-class Kakar Pashtun family. His grandfather, Dr Noor Ul Haq Kakar, was the personal physician of the Khan of Kalat, his father Ehtesham ul Haq Kakar was a civil servant, while his maternal uncle Arbab Yousaf Kasi and other relatives have been involved in politics. He lost his mother when he was 4, while his father died when he was 18.[7][8]

Kakar was educated at St. Francis School, Quetta and later attended Cadet College Kohat.[9] He holds a master's degree in political science and sociology, which he completed at the University of Balochistan in the 1990s.[9][10] He further attempted to study law at Birkbeck, University of London in the United Kingdom but did not complete the program.[10][11]

He returned to Pakistan in 2005.[10][11]

Academic career

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Kakar started his career as a teacher.[9][12]

Kakar is fluent in Pashto, Urdu, Persian, English, Balochi and Brahui.[13]

Political career

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While acting as the Balochistan provincial spokesperson, Kakar founded an NGO called Voice of Balochistan (VOB) in 2016 and served as its CEO. The NGO managed a wide array of pro-military social media accounts aimed at refuting reports of human rights violations, enforced disappearances, and purported staged encounters by the armed forces in Balochistan. Despite being established in 2016, VOB was not officially registered until March 2021, according to government records.[11]

Senator, 2006–2023

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Kakar began his political career when he joined PML-Q in 2006.[11] He contested a seat in the National Assembly from Quetta in the 2008 general election but was unsuccessful.[10][11]

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.[11][14] 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.[10][11]

In 2018, Kakar left PML-N and helped found a new political party named Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).[10][15] Later, he was elected to the Senate of Pakistan as an independent candidate for a general seat from Balochistan in 2018 Pakistani Senate election.[16][17] He took oath as Senator on 12 March 2018.[18] 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.[19]

In 2020, Kakar was briefly considered for the Federal Minister of Information position in Imran Khan's government, but he was ultimately not appointed.[10]

Caretaker Premiership, 2023–2024

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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.[20] He resigned from the Senate on 14 August 2023 and the same day, his resignation was accepted by the Chairman of the Senate Sadiq Sanjrani.[21]

On 3 October 2023, Pakistan's caretaker government ordered that all undocumented immigrants, particularly the nearly 1.73 million Afghan nationals, voluntarily leave the country by 1 November 2023 or face deportation in a crackdown.[22] Kakar said that the government's repatriation policy is not exclusive to Afghan nationals, but applies to all illegal immigrants in Pakistan. He stated that despite not being a signatory to the Geneva Convention, Pakistan has hosted over 4 million Afghan refugees for the past 40 years.[23] Taliban authorities condemned the deportations of Afghans as an "inhuman act."[24]

In October 2023, he called for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war.[25] In November 2023, Kakar said that "We are witnessing a holocaust of Palestinian children in Gaza. This appalling and atrocious child holocaust must stop immediately."[26]

It was reported that the military establishment proposed his name and Sadiq Sanjrani for the top positions in the upcoming Senate election scheduled for March 3, 2024.[27]

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

Political views

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Foreign policy

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Kakar's foreign policy is to form the bedrock of Pakistan's partnership with the United States, China and Gulf states as primary geopolitical, geoeconomics allies, especially as security actors.[28]

Pakistani nationalism and criticism of Baloch separatism

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Kakar is a representative of "hyper Pakistani nationalism" in Balochistan. He is also regarded as having strong relations with the Pakistani military establishment.[29]

In 2018, Kakar and Saeed Ahmed Hashmi along with some dissident Balochistan-based politicians from PML-N and PML-Q founded Balochistan Awami Party, The "establishment-sponsored" Pakistani nationalist political party It has been described as pro-establishment party in Balochistan.[30][31][32][33][34]

He is a notable critic of Baloch separatism, he claims that because of the separatist propaganda of the Indian agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in the name of Baloch nationalism has destroyed Balochistan, and that citizens must unite for the peace, stability and progress in the region. He also clarified that thousands of Baloch youth were killed during the past 20 years, adding that only in 2014, 155 innocent Baloch people were killed as they refused to give extortion to the separatist groups.[35]

Under his caretaker tenure, the Baloch separatists of the Baloch Nationalist Army: Sarfraz Bangulzai and Gulzar Imam surrendered to the Government of Balochistan, and were at the forefront of the low-level insurgency in Balochistan for more than two decades.[36] Experts have described their surrender as a significant boost for the government of Pakistan and for the progress of Balochistan.[37]

Wealth

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According to Election Commission of Pakistan, before assuming his role as caretaker PM, Kakar declared his net worth at Rs. 48.2 million (US$170,000). Among the mentioned assets are 10 tolas of gold, 50,000 shares in Pakistan Chagai Mining Limited, and 20 acres of inherited agricultural land valued at Rs 8 million. The acting prime minister also has more than Rs 20 million deposited in two different banks.[38]

Controversies

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In 2016, Kakar established the NGO, Voice of Balochistan (VOB), where he served as CEO.[11][39][40] VOB, which was not officially registered until 2021, operated a network of pro-military social media accounts and received funds from the exchequer.[11] The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) initiated an investigation into then-Senator Kakar for alleged corruption related to the NGO, Voice of Balochistan.[41] 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.[41]

Kakar wanted to become Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan as his name was allegedly being proposed by the Pakistan Army, however, this proposal was rejected and Yusuf Raza Gilani was elected unopposed on 9 April 2024.[42]

Subsequent to Kakar not becoming the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, he tried to clinch the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, however, he failed again when the Government of Pakistan played a strategic move by appointing Ishaq Dar as the DPM of Pakistan on 28 April 2024.[1][43]

Pakistan wheat import scandal

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Main article: Pakistan wheat import scandal

The Pakistan wheat import scandal refers to a controversy that emerged in 2024, involving the importation of a significant amount of wheat by Kakar caretaker ministry, despite the country having surplus wheat stocks. This decision allegedly caused a loss of more than 300 billion rupees to the national exchequer.[44][45]

Committees

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

References

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  1. ^ "Kakar leaves BAP, Senate seat for neutrality". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 13 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  2. ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (3 March 2024). "Shehbaz Sharif sworn in as prime minister of Pakistan". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Anwar Ul Haq Kakar to be the new caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan". Pakistan Observer. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Senate of Pakistan".
  5. ^ "Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar sworn in as caretaker PM". 14 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Ministry of Human Rights". mohr.gov.pk. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  7. ^ Anwar ul Haq Kakar (Caretaker Prime Minister) - Aik Din Geo Ke Saath - Suhail Warraich - Geo News. Retrieved 2024-05-08 – via www.youtube.com.
  8. ^ Shahid, Saleem (August 13, 2023). "'BAP architect' in the driving seat". DAWN.COM.
  9. ^ a b c "Profile: Who is Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar?". The News International.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Aamir, Adnan (14 August 2023). "Who is Anwaar Kakar, Pakistan's new caretaker prime minister?". Nikkei Asia.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i Baloch, Kiyya (15 August 2023). "What Does Pakistan's New Caretaker Prime Minister Mean for Balochistan?". The Diplomat.
  12. ^ Bagchi, Disha (12 August 2023). "Anwaar-ul Haq Kakar — teacher-turned-politician from Balochistan appointed Pakistan's caretaker PM". The Print.
  13. ^ Guramani, Nadir; Khan, Sanaullah (2023-08-12). "BAP's Anwaarul Haq Kakar to be caretaker PM". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  14. ^ Baloch, Mohammad Zafar (12 August 2023). "Who is newly appointed interim PM?". The Express Tribune.
  15. ^ "Anwarul Haq Kakar, Saeed Hasmhi launch Balochistan Awami Party". The Express Tribune. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Senate elections: PML-N-backed independent candidates lead in Punjab, PPP in Sindh". The Express Tribune. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  17. ^ Khan, Iftikhar A. (4 March 2018). "PML-N gains Senate control amid surprise PPP showing". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "Profile: Who is Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar?". The News. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  20. ^ Khan, Muhammad imran (2023-08-13). "From Pashtun Identity to National Leadership: Senator Kakar's Story". Life In Pakistan. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ "Pakistan wants undocumented migrants to leave by November 1 or get deported". Al Jazeera. October 3, 2023.
  23. ^ "Deportation process applies to all illegal 'aliens': Kakar". 30 October 2023. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023.
  24. ^ "Taliban: Iran Deports Almost 350,000 Afghans Within 3 Months". VOA News. 11 December 2023.
  25. ^ Saifi, Sophia (16 October 2023). "Pakistan's prime minister calls for ceasefire in Gaza amid nationwide pro-Palestinian rallies". CNN.
  26. ^ "'We are witnessing holocaust of children in Gaza,' says Pakistani premier". Anadolu Agency. 20 November 2023.
  27. ^ Wasim, Amir (1 March 2024). "Situationer: Let there be (dis)order". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  28. ^ "A Conversation With Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar of Pakistan". Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  29. ^ Akbar, Malik Siraj (20 August 2016). "Why Modi's statements should be the least of our worries on Balochistan". Dawn News. Retrieved 18 August 2023. Instead of healing the Baloch people's wounds, the establishment has promoted a dangerous wave of hyper Pakistani nationalism. Hence, people like Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar spend most of their time questioning other people's patriotism and resort to bizarre ways to prove themselves as better Pakistanis than the rest.
  30. ^ Riaz, Sumeera (2024-01-03). "Elections 2024: BAP Defections Open Path for PPP, PMLN". Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  31. ^ "Who is Anwaar Kakar, Pakistan's new caretaker prime minister?". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  32. ^ "New political party launched in Balochistan". Geo News. 29 March 2018.
  33. ^ "PML-N dissidents, independents launch 'Balochistan Awami Party'". Dawn (newspaper). 2018-03-29. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  34. ^ "Anwarul Haq Kakar, Saeed Hashmi launch Balochistan Awami Party". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 2018-03-29. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  35. ^ RAW involved in terrorism in Balochistan: Anwaar ul Haq Kakar
  36. ^ Key Pakistani separatist commander ‘surrenders,’ renounces militancy. 20 December 2023. Arab News.
  37. ^ Separatist leader in Pakistan appears before cameras and says he has surrendered with 70 followers. 20 December 2023. Associated Press.
  38. ^ Desk, Web (2023-11-16). "Caretaker PM holds 10 tolas of gold, valuing at Rs 80,000". Hum NEWS. Retrieved 2024-02-29. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  39. ^ Hussain, Zahid (16 August 2023). "The caretaker project". Dawn.
  40. ^ "Patron-in-Chief of the Voice of Balochistan". 7 November 2018.
  41. ^ a b Raza, Syed Irfan (26 September 2023). "Case against caretaker PM was closed on merit, says NAB". Dawn.
  42. ^ Guramani, Dawn com | Nadir (2024-04-09). "Yousaf Raza Gillani clinches Senate chairmanship as PML-N's Syedal Khan Nasir secures deputy role". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  43. ^ Guramani, Dawn com | Nadir (2024-04-28). "Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar appointed deputy prime minister". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  44. ^ Desk, Web (May 6, 2024). "Pakistan Wheat Import Scandal: A Crisis of Accountability". ARY NEWS. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  45. ^ "Unnecessary wheat imports allegedly cause billions of rupees loss to the country". May 2, 2024.
Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Pakistan
Caretaker
2023–2024 		Succeeded by
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