2023-08-12 18:27:54
A rather unknown senator from Pakistan’s least populated province was named the country’s interim prime minister on Saturday, pending elections in several months.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, 52, from the southwestern province of Baluchistan, was chosen by the outgoing coalition government to lead the country in the throes of a political crisis, since Imran Khan was ousted of his post as Prime Minister in April 2022.
Elections normally scheduled for November
“We first agreed that whoever the Prime Minister is, he should be from a smaller province, so that the claims of the smaller provinces are dealt with,” the head of the government said on Saturday. Pakistani opposition, Raja Riaz Ahmad, after a meeting with the outgoing Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
The interim prime minister will lead Pakistan until the next general and provincial elections scheduled for November. Some officials have nevertheless already announced that they will be postponed until next year.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar “has a limited political career and does not weigh heavily in Pakistani politics,” said political analyst Hasan Askari Rizvi, interviewed by AFP.
“No strong affiliation with the main political parties”
“This may be an advantage as he does not have a strong affiliation with the main political parties, but “the downside”, according to the analyst, “is that he could find it difficult to deal with the problems it will face, without the active support of the military establishment”.
The political climate has been particularly tense in Pakistan since Imran Khan was ousted from power and led an unprecedented campaign against the powerful military establishment. Last weekend, the septuagenarian was sentenced for corruption to three years in prison and imprisoned.
Imran Khan, who is barred from running for office for five years, has appealed his sentence and conviction.
A relative of the army
In recent months, authorities have cracked down hard on Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Deadly clashes erupted in May between his supporters demonstrating by the thousands in the street and the police. Almost all of the PTI leaders had been arrested or forced into hiding.
Having taken courses at the National Defense University – formerly the army war school – Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar would be close to the military institution, according to analyst Ayesha Sidiqqa. “It seems the establishment has struck a blow and found someone who will look after their interests rather than those of politicians,” she said.
Parliament was officially dissolved on Wednesday and elections must be held within 90 days, according to the constitution, but the release last weekend of the latest census data could push them back.
Dangers on the elections
The government has indicated that the electoral commission needs time to redraw electoral boundaries, although the electoral commission has not commented directly.
Asked on television whether a vote would take place this year, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah replied “no”.
Last month parliament hastily passed a law giving the caretaker government more power to negotiate with international bodies such as the International Monetary Fund. An additional clue suggesting that it could remain in place for a while.
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