At last, political deadlock over the appointment of a caretaker prime minister has ended with both the ruling and opposition parties have reached an agreement on Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar. Earlier, a deadlock persisted which led to concerns about the possibility of further political instability in the country ahead of the upcoming general elections.
Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of President Arif Alvi on Wednesday, three days before the completion of his term. This triggered the process for the appointment of a caretaker prime minister under Article 224 of the Constitution. Opposition Leader Raja Riaz claims he suggested the name of Senator Kakar as the caretaker prime minister. The ruling party stood in favor of this name.
On Saturday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) revealed that Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar of the Balochistan Awami Party has been selected as Pakistan’s interim prime minister. This much-anticipated announcement followed a meeting between Prime Minister Sharif and outgoing Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Raja Riaz. During this meeting, they reached a consensus on Kakar’s nomination for this significant role. As stated in a press release from the PMO, PM Shehbaz Sharif and Raja Riaz have jointly submitted a recommendation to President Arif Alvi regarding the appointment of Kakar as the caretaker prime minister. In response, President Arif Alvi promptly approved this recommendation under the provisions of Article 224 A of the Constitution.
Earlier, the Election Commission had set a deadline of three days for the two sides to reach an agreement on a name for the caretaker prime minister. The leading political parties need to put aside their differences and stand behind the caretaker prime minister. This is in the best interests of the country and will help to ensure that the upcoming general elections are held in a free and fair manner. In the meantime, the Election Commission should take steps to ensure that the caretaker government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is apolitical and does not engage in any activities that could influence the upcoming elections. The appointment of a caretaker prime minister is an important step in the democratic process.