ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has said that he won’t appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a case related to the missing Baloch students.
The IHC Judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, heading a single-member bench, had summoned the premier, relevant caretaker ministers, and secretaries for interior and defense if the more than 50 missing Baloch students were not recovered by November 9.
In an interview with a private news channel, the premier said, “I will be abroad due to my participation in COP 28. Obviously, as the prime minister, there are several commitments. Apart from this, we will ensure our representation in other relevant forums.”
Addressing allegations of favoritism as elections approached, Prime Minister Kakar stressed that caretakers had no favorites and were committed to ensuring transparent elections. He mentioned that justified complaints from political parties would be addressed, but he acknowledged sporadic instances where authorities had not allowed parties to hold rallies.
Regarding the post-election scenario, he urged big political parties and stakeholders to consider the situation, acknowledging potential allegations of transparency issues.
Prime Minister Kakar, a former leader of the Balochistan Awami Party, clarified that he had no intentions of joining any political party at the moment. However, he expressed that once the caretaker setup concludes, he would contemplate future decisions. In terms of the economy, he hinted at upcoming “good news” in the coming weeks, praising the Special Investment Facilitation Council for representing policy consistency regardless of the ruling party.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Criticizes Court for Summoning PM
Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti had expressed reservations about summoning the prime minister, stating that it was inappropriate for the court to call the premier for every minor issue.
PM Kakar, supporting Bugti’s statement, claimed that the number of missing persons in Pakistan was the “lowest in the region.” He reiterated that caretakers had no favorites and said that there were no restrictions on any party regarding electioneering, addressing concerns about favoritism towards any specific political party.
