According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the much-anticipated announcement came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and outgoing Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) Raja Riaz reached a consensus over Kakar’s name for the coveted post during a meeting in Islamabad today, reports Dawn News.

Subsequently, the two leaders sent an advice regarding Kakar’s appointment as the caretaker prime minister to President Arif Alvi, who shortly afterwards accorded his assent.

“President Dr Arif Alvi has approved the appointment of Anwaarul Haque Kakar as caretaker prime minister. The president approved the appointment under Article 224-A of the Constitution,” a statement by the Aiwan-e-Sadr was quoted as saying by Dawn News.

Kakar has been a member of the Senate of Pakistan since March 2018.

He was elected to the Senate of Pakistan as an independent candidate in the general seat from the southwest Balochistan province in the 2018 Pakistani Senate election.