PM assumes office, seeks briefing from ministries,

Shehbaz Sharif leaves PM House after guard of honor presented to him,

ISLAMABAD – Anwaarul Haq Kakar took oath as the eighth caretaker prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Sunday.

President Arif Alvi administered oath to the caretaker prime minister during a simple ceremony at the President House in the federal capital.

Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was also present at the ceremony, congratulated the newly-appointed interim premier.

National Assembly speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman, PTI Senator Shehbaz Waseem, PPP’s Faisal Karim Kundi and others also attended the ceremony.

Outgoing prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Governor Punjab Balighur Rehman, Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori, Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi, Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Azam Khan and leading politicians of various political parties also attended the ceremony.

Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, and other high ranking officials were also present on the occasion.

Sanjarani accepts Kakar’s Senate resignation

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani on Monday accepted caretaker PM-designate Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s resignation from the upper house of the Parliament.

The resignation has been accepted as Kakar is likely to swear-in as the caretaker prime minister today. A notification issued by the Senate Secretariat on Monday notified Kakar’s resignation.

“Anwaarul Haq Kakar, member Senate of Pakistan, has resigned his seat, as his principled stance of neutrality on becoming the caretaker prime minister, by writing under his hand in person before the Senate chairman,” the notification, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said.

“The honourable Senate chairman has been pleased to accept the resignation and consequently his seat has become vacant in terms of clause (1) of Article 64 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan with effect from August 14,” it added.

A day earlier, Kakar had announced his resignation from the Senate as well as the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

After assuming the responsibilities, the caretaker premier sought a detailed briefing from all ministries on important matters.

Earlier, the caretaker PM was presented guard of honour in a ceremony at the Prime Minister House.

A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan’s armed forces presented the guard of honour. National anthem was also played on the occasion.

Outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received the new prime minister on his arrival.

The caretaker prime minister met the officers and staff of the Prime Minister House.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif felicitated Anwarul Haq Kakar on becoming caretaker PM and expressed his best wishes for him.

Meanwhile, Anwarul Haq Kakar also held meetings with former provincial minister Mir Asim Kurd Gello and a delegation from Balochistan.Senator Sarfraz Bugti and Mir Khalid Lango were part of the delegation. The delegation felicitated the prime minister on assuming office and expressed their best wishes for him