Anwar ul Haq Kakar

Anwaar ul-Haq Kakar is a Pakistani politician who served as the longest-serving caretaker prime minister of Pakistan. His tenure lasted from 14 August 2023 until 4 March 2024. He was eventually succeeded by Shehbaz Sharif.

Early life and education

Kakar was born on 15 May 1971 in Qilla Saifullah, Balochistan. He grew up in a prominent middle-class Kakar Pashtun family where his grandfather, Dr Noor Ul Haq Kakar, served as the personal physician to the Khan of Kalat. His father, Ehtesham ul Haq Kakar, worked as a civil servant. Kakar experienced significant personal loss during his youth; he lost his mother when he was 4 and his father passed away when he was 18.

He received his early education at St. Francis School in Quetta. Later, he attended Cadet College Kohat to continue his studies. Kakar earned a master's degree in sociology and political science from the University of Balochistan during the 1990s. Although he attempted to study law at Birkbeck, University of London, he did not complete that specific program. He returned to Pakistan in 2005.

Career

Kakar began his professional life working as a teacher. He joined the PML-Q in 2006 to start his political journey. While he contested a seat in the National Assembly from Quetta during the 2008 general election, he was unsuccessful in that bid.

His political influence grew when he served as the spokesperson for the Government of Balochistan between 2015 and 2017. During this period, he founded the NGO Voice of Balochistan (VOB) in 2016. He acted as the CEO of VOB—an organization that managed pro-military social media accounts to refute reports regarding human rights violations in the province. While VOB was established in 2016, government records indicate it was not officially registered until March 2021.

In 2018, Kakar left the PML-N and helped found the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). He was elected to the Senate of Pakistan as an independent candidate for a general seat from Balochistan. After taking his oath on 12 March 2018, he chaired the Committee of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. He also served on committees regarding foreign affairs, finance and revenue, and science and technology.

Kakar was nominated as caretaker prime minister by Raja Riaz and Shehbaz Sharif in 2023. President Arif Alvi swore him into office on 14 August 2023. During his term, he implemented a repatriation policy targeting all undocumented immigrants, including nearly 1.73 million Afghans. He also called for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, describing the situation there as an appalling child holocaust.

His administration faced several controversies during this period. The government delayed the general elections due to economic turmoil and security concerns. Additionally, a wheat import scandal emerged in 2024 involving his caretaker ministry. This decision allegedly resulted in a loss of more than 300 billion rupees to the national exchequer.

Personal life

Kakar is fluent in several languages, including Pashto, Urdu, Persian, English, Balochi and Brahui. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, he declared a net worth of Rs. 48.2 million before becoming prime minister. His assets included 10 tolas of gold, 50,000 shares in Pakistan Chagai Mining Limited and 20 acres of agricultural land. He also maintained more than Rs 20 million in two separate bank accounts.