Daily Times

The National Assembly was dissolved on August 9, 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 the constitutional provisions. regarding picking up 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 more than once, they came up with the name of Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar from Balochistan as the caretaker prime minister. According to the reports which appeared in the media, the name of Senator Anwarul Haw Kakar was suggested by Raja Riaz Ahmad and PM Shehbaz Sharif accepted it as a unanimously agreed candidate as the caretaker prime minister. After being so named, Anwarul Haq resigned from his political affiliations He did not hurry to take oath forthwith but preferred to do so on the auspicious occasion of Independence Day on August 14, 2023, at the Presidency where President Arif Alvi administered the oath to him.

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 caretaker prime minister, who for the first time has got expanded mandate than merely looking after day-to-day routine work and ensuring the 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 internal as well as external fronts. In all fairness, what the caretaker federal government was doing to tackle the long lingering and pending burning issues was more than what the previous federal governments had done in years together, to say the least.

It goes to the credit of the caretaker prime minister for making harsh and strong decisions notwithstanding any pressures whatsoever.

On the external front, the caretaker prime minister undertook his maiden foreign visit lasting five days to New York (SA) and London (Britain. In New York, he attended the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit Leaders 6 on the 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 the implementation of its resolution on Kashmir, strongly urging the world at large to effectively counter state terrorism including Hindutva fascism unleashed by the Indian 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 the formation of an alliance to keep a close and strict check on India’s rogue behaviour.

Caretaker Prime Minister 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 interacted with the students at Oxford University visited the Islamic Studies Centre and availed himself of the opportunity here and there underlying the urgent need for the world to wake up as Inia’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 Caretaker Prime Minister 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 caretaker prime minister for making 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 the Pakistani Rupee started gradually stabilizing. which was being appreciated by all. Caretaker Prime Minister 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 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 October 30, 2023.

The caretaker prime minister continues to do good work aiming at the welfare of the people and, the betterment of the national economy and this all augurs well for the beloved motherland hopefully and surely.

He writer is a Lahore-based freelance journalist, columnist and retired deputy controller (News), Radio Pakistan, Islamabad. He can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com.