Little-known senator Anwaar ul Haq Kakar sworn in as Pakistan caretaker PM

Little-known senator Anwaar ul Haq Kakar was sworn in Monday as Pakistan's caretaker prime minister to see the country through to an election due in months.

"I will strive to preserve the Islamic ideology which is the basis for the creation of Pakistan... I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct or my official decisions," the 52-year-old said in a ceremony broadcast live on TV.

On Sunday, Kakar quit as the head of his small Baluchistan Awami Party and quit as a senator after being named by outgoing premier Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raza Riaz to oversee the vote and run the day-to-day affairs of the government until the people elect a new government.

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

Under the constitution, the election should take place in the next 90 days.

The swearing-in takes place as Pakistanis celebrate the country's 76th Independence Day. But the day comes amid a deepening political turmoil, which started after the removal of former premier Imran Khan from power last year.

Pakistan gained independence when the departing British left India and split the subcontinent in 1947.

Monday's festivities began with gun salutes in the capital, Islamabad, and in each of the four provincial capitals. In Islamabad, President Arif Alvi hoisted the national flag at a ceremony attended by officials and other dignitaries.

Security was high across the nation following multiple attacks at 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.

On Sunday, a journalist, Jan Mohammad Mahar, was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen as he was heading home in Sukkur, a district in southern Sindh province, police said. However, the motive behind the killing was unclear and officers said they were still investigating.

In his overnight farewell address to the nation, Sharif asked his countrymen to “make the right decision” when they go to vote. He blamed Khan for the economic crisis the country was facing when he came to power.

Sharif replaced Khan in April 2022 when he was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament.

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.