Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar takes oath as 8th caretaker PM as Pakistan marks Independence Day

President of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi (center), administers the oath to Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar (left) as prime minister to head a caretaker national government in Islamabad, Pakistan, on August 14, 2023. (Photo courtesy: @PresOfPakistan/Twitter)
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Updated 14 August 2023
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Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar takes oath as 8th caretaker PM as Pakistan marks Independence Day

  • Kakar will head an interim setup to oversee general elections due in November, but that are widely expected to be delayed
  • Security was high across Pakistan on Monday following multiple attacks at the weekend, including on Chinese workers in Gwadar

ISLAMABAD: Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar took oath on Monday as the 8th caretaker prime minister of Pakistan to head an interim national government that would oversee the parliamentary elections due in November, but widely expected to be delayed. 

President Dr. Arif Alvi approved Kakar’s appointment on Saturday after outgoing PM Shehbaz Sharif and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz, unanimously announced him as a candidate for the post. 

Kakar, widely believed to be close to Pakistan’s powerful army, is comparatively new to politics and has been representing his Balochistan province in the Senate since 2018. 

He was a member of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) which he helped found in 2018 but relinquished his membership as well as his Senate seat after he was announced as the caretaker PM. 

“I, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, take oath... that I will support and stay loyal to Pakistan, that being the prime minister of Pakistan, I will discharge my duties with honesty and to the best of my capabilities in accordance with the constitution and law of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” Kakar said as he took oath of his office. 

“I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct or my official decisions, that I will uphold the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and will protect and defend it...May Allah help and guide me, ameen.” 




Pakistan's caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar (center) reviews a guard of honor presented to him as he arrives at the Prime Minister's House in Islamabad, Pakistan, on August 14, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Government of Pakistan)

Later, Kakar arrived at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad where he was welcomed by the outgoing premier and introduced with the staff, followed by his meeting with Sharif 

“In the meeting, outgoing Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and expressed his best wishes,” the PM’s office said in a statement. 

Sharif was then given a farewell guard-of-honor, following which he departed from the PM House. This was followed by a guard-of honor presented to Kakar by the contingents of the three military services. 

It is a normal practice in Pakistan to appoint a caretaker administration for the election period. 

General elections in Pakistan are due to be held in November this year, 90 days after the National Assembly’s dissolution. However, the outgoing Sharif government’s decision to approve the results of the 2023 digital census means the election regulator would be required to redraw hundreds of constituencies as per those results. 

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will be able to provide an election date only once the constituencies are redrawn and the vote is thus widely expected to be delayed to as far ahead as February. 

Earlier in the day, a notification issued by the Senate Secretariat notified Kakar’s resignation ahead of the oath, saying he was giving up his senate seat “as his principled stance of neutrality on becoming the caretaker prime minister.” 

The swearing-in took place as Pakistanis celebrated the country’s 77th Independence Day, which marks the country’s creation when the British left India and split the subcontinent in 1947. 

But the day came amid a deepening political turmoil, which began after the removal of former premier Khan from power last year in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence. Khan was sentenced to three years in prison in a graft case earlier this month and is currently being held at the high-security Attock prison in eastern Punjab province. His conviction means he will be unable to take part in general elections as a criminal conviction bars Pakistanis from leading a party, running in elections or holding public office. Khan has appealed the conviction. 

Security was high across the nation on Monday, following multiple attacks over the weekend, including an assault in which Chinese working on a construction project escaped unharmed but two militants were killed when troops quickly returned fire in the coastal town of Gwadar in Balochistan province. 


Pakistan ex-PM Khan, wife appeal graft convictions

Updated 27 January 2025
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Pakistan ex-PM Khan, wife appeal graft convictions

  • Khan has been convicted four times since his arrest in Aug. 2023, with two convictions overturned and the sentences in the other two cases suspended
  • A graft court this month found Khan and his wife guilty of ‘corruption’ over a welfare foundation they established together called the Al-Qadir Trust

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi appealed against their convictions for graft on Monday, his lawyer said.
Khan, 72, has been held in custody since August 2023 charged in around 200 cases that he claims are politically motivated.
The former cricketing star was sentenced to 14 years in jail and his wife to seven this month in the latest case to be brought against them.
“We have filed appeals today and in the next few days it will go through clerical processes and then it will be fixed for a hearing,” Khan’s lawyer Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry told AFP outside Islamabad High Court.
Khan has been convicted four times since his arrest, with two convictions overturned and the sentences in the other two cases suspended.
A special graft court found the pair guilty of “corruption and corrupt practices” over a welfare foundation they established together called the Al-Qadir Trust.
The court hearing for the case was postponed three times and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said earlier it was being used to pressure him into cutting a deal with the government to step back from politics.
Khan alleged before the conviction that he had been “indirectly approached” about the possibility of house arrest at his sprawling home on Islamabad’s outskirts.
Bibi, a faith healer who married Khan shortly before he was elected in 2018, is being held at the same jail as her husband in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad.
Khan’s popularity continues to undermine a shaky coalition government that kept PTI from power in elections last year.
Even from behind bars, Khan has fired off statements through his legal team railing against the government and promising to fight his battles through the courts.
Sometimes violent protests have paralyzed Islamabad in recent months and the party has announced further rallies next month to mark one year since elections that were marred by allegations of rigging.
Khan called off talks with the government last week aimed at easing political tensions.
Ousted from power by a no-confidence vote in 2022, the former cricket star has since launched an unprecedented campaign in which he has openly criticized Pakistan’s powerful generals.
Analysts say the military’s leaders are Pakistan’s kingmakers, although the generals deny interfering in politics.
A UN panel of experts found last year that Khan’s detention “had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for political office.”
Khan was barred from standing in last February’s election and his PTI party was hamstrung by a widespread crackdown.
PTI won more seats than any other party but a coalition considered more pliable to the military’s influence shut them out of power.


Pakistan sets up pavilion at Arab Health expo to demonstrate health care manufacturing prowess

Updated 27 January 2025
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Pakistan sets up pavilion at Arab Health expo to demonstrate health care manufacturing prowess

  • The exhibition, running from Jan. 27 till Jan. 30, focuses on nine key product sectors, including medical equipment, disposables and surgical goods
  • Pakistan Pavilion is hosting 40 Pakistani firms at the exhibition, highlighting the importance of enhancing Pakistan’s exports across diverse sectors

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has set up its pavilion at the Arab Health 2025 exhibition in Dubai to showcase the South Asian country’s capabilities in health care manufacturing and innovation, the Pakistani embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Monday.
Arab Health 2025, organized under the patronage of the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, is one of the largest and most prestigious health care exhibitions in the world. This year, the event is featuring over 3,800 exhibitors and has attracted more than 60,000 health care professionals and industry leaders from over 70 countries.
The exhibition, running from Jan. 27 till Jan. 30, focuses on nine key product sectors, including medical equipment and devices, disposables and surgical goods, orthopedics and physiotherapy, imaging and diagnostics, general health care services, health care infrastructure, wellness and prevention, health care transformation and health care technology.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at the expo at Dubai World Trade Center, which is hosting 40 leading Pakistani companies under the umbrella of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), highlighting the importance of enhancing Pakistan’s exports across diverse sectors to achieve sustainable economic growth.
“Arab Health has served as an important platform for the health care industry over the past 50 years for collaboration, innovation, and shaping the future of health care,” Ambassador Tirmizi said as he inaugurated the pavilion.
“Our mission is committed to doubling the number of Pakistani exhibitors at next year’s exhibition.”
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States (US), and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
The Arab Health exhibition also hosts scientific conferences offering insights into the latest trends in health care, advancements in digital health and artificial intelligence and strategic investment opportunities in the sector.
Ambassador Tirmizi emphasized the significance of leveraging platforms like Arab Health to foster business-to-business linkages, drive innovation in research and development, and enhance collaboration in digital health care services, according to the Pakistani embassy.
Pakistani exhibitors expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements and reiterated the importance of Arab Health in unlocking Pakistan’s export potential in the UAE and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.


Pakistan to invite local businessmen in renewed push to privatize loss-making national airline

Updated 27 January 2025
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Pakistan to invite local businessmen in renewed push to privatize loss-making national airline

  • A deal to sell off the Pakistan International Airlines fell through late last year, after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price
  • Pakistan hopes the recent opening of European routes, expected to be followed by a similar announcement by the UK, will boost PIA’s selling potential

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has renewed its efforts to privatize the loss-making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and plans on inviting local businessmen to the new bidding process, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.
Pakistan’s government has been scrambling to find a buyer to privatize the debt-ridden airline since late last year, when a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price.
The airline posted losses of $270 million in 2023, according to local media reports. Its liabilities were nearly $3 billion, about five times the total worth of its assets.
Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, Sharif said a new effort was being carried out to privatize the airline, so that PIA becomes the PIA of its heydays in the ‘60s.
“This time we are inviting Pakistani businessman from Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Lahore,” Sharif said in televised comments. “A new bidding process will be carried out, whichever group wins the bid, PIA will be given to them.”
The development comes weeks after PIA resumed its operations in Europe, with the first flight to Paris on Jan. 10, following a hiatus of four years.
The airline was restricted in 2020 by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses issued in the country, following a PIA plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 people. EASA lifted its ban on PIA in November last year, however, the airline remains barred from flying to the UK and the US.
Separately on Monday, a delegation from the UK’s Department for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority arrived in Pakistan to conduct a safety assessment ahead of the resumption of PIA flight operations between the two countries, according to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“There will be several high-level meetings between the two sides,” the PCAA said in a statement. “The discussions will examine aviation safety protocols, review documentation, and evaluate operational procedures.”
Pakistan’s government hopes the opening of European routes, which officials expect will be followed by a similar announcement by the UK later this year, will boost PIA’s selling potential.
“We will take PIA back to the slogan ‘Great People To Fly With’,” Sharif said at the Islamabad ceremony. “This is difficult but not impossible.”


Pakistan to issue red notices for human traffickers in bid to curb illegal practice

Updated 27 January 2025
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Pakistan to issue red notices for human traffickers in bid to curb illegal practice

  • Development comes days after a boat capsized near Morocco on Jan. 15 while carrying 66 Pakistanis among 86 migrants
  • The tragedy once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants embark on due to conflict, instability at home

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday ordered authorities to issue red notices for human traffickers in order to curb the illegal practice, Pakistani state media reported, days after a migrant boat carrying over 60 Pakistanis capsized near Morocco.
The boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on Jan. 15 while carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said last week that it was in process of repatriating 22 survivors of the tragedy.
The Morocco tragedy has once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants, including Pakistanis, embark on due to conflict and economic instability in their home countries.
PM Sharif gave the orders to issue red notices for human traffickers at the first meeting of a task force he formed last week to curb human smuggling, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The prime minister instructed the FIA [Federal Investigation Agency] to provide the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the information gathered during investigations to facilitate the swift extradition of human traffickers,” the report read.
A red notice is a request from a member country of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to other member states to locate and arrest a person to extradite them to face criminal charges.
The Morocco tragedy is not the first one involving Pakistani migrants in recent years.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos, marking one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea. More recently, five Pakistani nationals died in a shipwreck off the southern Greek island of Gavdos on Dec. 14.
The Pakistani government has ramped up efforts in recent months to combat human smugglers facilitating dangerous journeys for illegal immigrants to Europe, resulting in several arrests. PM Sharif has also urged increased collaboration with international agencies like Interpol to ensure swift action against human trafficking networks.
“Complete eradication of human trafficking can only be achieved through the collective efforts and cooperation of all institutions,” Sharif told officials at Monday’s meeting.


Pakistan central bank cuts key policy rate to 12 percent amid easing inflation

Updated 21 min 47 sec ago
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Pakistan central bank cuts key policy rate to 12 percent amid easing inflation

  • The State Bank of Pakistan has slashed rates from an all-time high of 22 percent in June 2024
  • Pakistan’s consumer inflation rate fell to 4.1 percent in December, its lowest in over six years

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s central bank has cut its key interest rate by 100 basis points to 12 percent, the bank’s governor announced on Monday, amid easing inflation and expectations for growth to pick up after consecutive rate cuts in the last six months.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has slashed rates from an all-time high of 22 percent in June last year in one of the most aggressive moves among central banks of emerging markets.
Speaking at a press conference, SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed said inflation would ease further in January, but core inflation remained elevated, forecasting that full-year inflation would remain between 5.5-7.5 percent in the fiscal year ending in June.
“The Monetary Policy Committee, after a lot of discussions, decided to reduce our policy rate from 13 percent to 12 percent. In other words, a reduction of 100 basis points was decided in today’s meeting,” he said.
“Our full-year forecast for this year, from July 2024 to June 2025, is that the full-year inflation, in our opinion, will be between 5.5 percent and 7.5 percent.”
Pakistan’s consumer inflation rate fell to 4.1 percent in December, its lowest in more than six years, helped by favorable base effects. It was below the government’s forecast and down from a multi-decade high of around 40 percent in May 2023.
Pakistan posted a current account surplus of $0.6 billion in Dec., bringing the cumulative surplus to $1.2 billion for the first half of the current fiscal year, according to the central bank governor. This was the result of “major positive developments” in the last six months.
“The current account level that we are foreseeing now, which would be the average of this entire year, that is 0.5 percent deficit to 0.5 percent surplus,” Ahmed said.
The central bank maintained its forecast of full-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 2.5-3.5 percent. Under a $7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan’s $350 billion economy grew 0.92 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2024-25, according to data approved by the National Accounts Committee in Dec.
The IMF will conduct a first review of the program in March, according to Ahmed.
“We have taken all actions required by the IMF from the central bank’s side,” he added.
Topline Securities, a Karachi-based brokerage and securities firm, said the latest rate cut would positively impact high leverage, cyclical and consumer discretionary companies.
“The leverage companies will benefit from lower finance cost, cyclicals will benefit from recovery of economy and consumer discretionary companies like autos will benefit from expected rise in consumer financing,” it said.
“Sector-wise, textile sector should stand beneficiary due to high leverage with positive impact of 3-5 percent, Steels 2-4 percent, and cement sector 2-3 percent.”