Pakistan Senator Anwaar-Ul-Haq Kakar from Balochistan has been named the country's caretaker Prime Minister. The appointment was made during a meeting between outgoing PM Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz.
Sharif and Riaz began rounds of meetings to pick a caretaker prime minister following the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9.
“We decided that the interim prime minister would be from a smaller province," Riaz told the media after the meeting.
Coalition partners were taken into confidence over the appointment before taking a final decision.
In a letter to both Prime Minister Sharif and Riaz, President Arif Alvi informed them that under Article 224A they are supposed to propose a name for interim prime minister within three days of the dissolution of the National Assembly.
"As provided in Article 224 (1A) of the Constitution of Pakistan, the Prime Minister and leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly may propose a suitable person for the appointment of care-taker Prime Minister not later than August 12," said President Alvi in the letter.
Some in political circles believe that current PM Sharif wants to stay in office till August 14 so he could attend the flag-hoisting ceremony on Independence Day, after which a caretaker premier will take an oath. (With PTI inputs)
