THE National Assembly was dissolved on 9 August 2023 by President Arif Alivi on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thus paving the way for induction of the caretaker set up for running the day-to-day national affairs till the holding of the general election.
In accordance with constitutional provisions regarding the selection of a suitable person as the Caretaker Prime Minister, outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz Ahmad, held consultations. After mutual consultations, they agreed on the name of Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar from Balochistan as the Caretaker Prime Minister (CPM). The media reports at the time indicated that Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar’s name was proposed by Raja Riaz Ahmad, and PM Shehbaz Sharif accepted it as a unanimously-agreed candidate for the caretaker Prime Minister. After being designated, Anwarul Haq resigned from his political affiliations. He did not rush to take the oath immediately, instead, chose to do so on the auspicious occasion of Independence Day, (August 14, 2023), at the Presidency.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar has been in office for less than two months but he has already made quite emphatically clear that he means business, will not tolerate any nonsense and try his level best to set things right to the maximum level in the greater national interest as long as he is in the office. As the CPM, who for the first time has got expanded mandate than merely looking after day-to-day routine work and ensuring holding of the general election on the date which is yet to be announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, Anwarul Haq Kakar has been quite active both at the national and international fronts. In all fairness, what the caretaker federal government was doing to tackle the lingering and pending (burning) issues was more than what the previous federal governments had done in years together to say the least.
On the external front, the CPM undertook his maiden foreign visit lasting five days to New York (US) and London (UK). In New York, he attended the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit Leaders 6 on topic “Mobilizing finance and the means of implementation for SDG achievement” He stressed the dire need for adequate financing for the poor nations and sought climate justice for Pakistan including fulfilment of the pledge to provide over $ 100 billion dollars annually in climate finance at the forthcoming CoP 28 Summit which has been further exacerbated by a morally bankrupt international financial architecture.
Anwarul Haq Kakar attended the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and in his maiden address emphatically called upon the UN Security Council to ensure implementation of its resolution on Kashmir, strongly urging the world at large for effectively countering state terrorism including Hindutva fascism unleashed by India and reiterated that Pakistan desires peaceful relations with all its neighbours including India with whom relations continued to be strained due to its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir for 75 years and torturing and killing Kashmiris demanding their birth right of self-determination in accordance with UNSC resolutions.
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, the Caretaker Prime Minister held meetings with a number of world leaders including Iranian President Sayyid Ebrahim Raisi, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Co-Chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates Corporation Bill gates and exchanged views for further promoting and strengthening bilateral relations. He also addressed a press conference in New York and called for formation of an alliance for keeping close and strict check on India’s rogue behaviour.
CPM Anwarul Haw Kakar, while in London, addressed the senior leaders of the financial market and said that the British investors were keen to invest in Pakistan. He also talked to the newsmen and interacted with the students at Oxford University and visited Islamic Studies Centre and availed the opportunity here and there underlying the urgent need for the world to wake up as India’s Hindutva was fast spilling over to the West. The Caretaker Prime Minister’s maiden foreign visit was quite productive, result-oriented, meaningful and successful despite being short packed with hectic activities and engagements. He rightfully presented Pakistan’s point of view on all occasions which was duly appreciated and endorsed by the world leaders by and large.
On the domestic front, the federal government headed by CPM Anwarul Haq Kakar was quite appreciably and determinedly countering the host of socio-economic problems and issues and pursuing policies aiming at serving the people at large. It goes to the credit of the CPM for taking harsh and strong decisions notwithstanding any pressures whatsoever. The caretaker federal government was coming hard and harsh at smuggling of all sorts topped by dollars following which Pakistani Rupee had started gradually stabilizing, which was being appreciated by all.
Anwarul Haq Kakar also took strong notice of hefty electricity bills following protests by the people and ordered a crackdown on power theft which was producing good results. Smuggling and hoarding of eatables like sugar and other essential articles were also being firmly and strongly checked and curbed, with positive results. Reiterating the commitment to eliminate terrorism and extremism in all forms and shapes and in the wake of somehow accelerated terrorist attacks, the caretaker prime minister and his government have quite rightly and justifiably taken a strong decision asking all aliens living illegally in Pakistan to leave by 30 October 2023. The caretaker prime minister continues to do good work aiming at welfare of the people, betterment of the national economy and this all augurs well for the beloved motherland hopefully and surely, please.
—The writer is contributing columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News), Radio Pakistan, Islamabad.
Email: zahidriffat@gmail.com
