Mengal displeased with Kakar as interim PM, writes to Nawaz Sharif

Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Chairman Akhtar Mengal on Sunday expressed reservations over the appointment of Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar as the caretaker prime minister, saying the decision had widened distance between BNP-M and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N).

In a letter to PML-N supremo Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Mengal lamented the actions of politicians to approach the establishment for every problem’s solution instead of resolving them politically.

The letter was shared in a post on the microblogging website X, previously known as Twitter.

On Saturday, outgoing PM Shehbaz Sharif and the Opposition Leader Raja Riaz reached a consensus over the name of Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, a senator from Balochistan, as the interim prime minister. The surprise decision received mixed reactions from different political parties, but BNP-M is certainty not happy with the name.

“Respected Mr. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, I hope you and your family are in good health. My message today follows up on my previous message dated July 22, 2022, as the issues I mentioned earlier have not seen improvement, but increased,” the letter said.

“It’s the same Balochistan, same forced disappearances, but instead of seeking political solutions, efforts are being made to solve the issue through armed conflict, relying on the establishment’s influence or consulting with them,” he lamented.

BNP-M, which was previously allied with the then-ruling PTI in the centre in 2018, joined hands with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to bring down Imran Khan’s government.

BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal part ways with PTI

The letter gave an impression that BNP-M believes Kakar’s name as the interim prime minister was the establishment’s choice.

“What has befallen us might be our fate, but what’s surprising is that you people, after facing hardships, haven’t learned any lessons. We remember the atrocities from General Ayub to General Musharraf. But your party seems to swiftly forget the conspiracies and unconstitutional actions of Musharraf and Bajwa.

“Rather than building trust among allies by legislating without undermining democratic institutions, your decisions have further weakened democratic structures and empowered non-democratic forces,” the letter read.

“This could be equivalent to driving more nails into the coffin of democracy,” Mengal lamented. “Legislation contrary to human rights will probably be used against you in the future.”

In the letter, Mengal also claimed that the population of Balochistan was around 22.4 million, which was reduced by over 7 million in the Council of Common Interest meeting.

Political corruption plaguing country since 1947: Akhtar Mengal

He said taking decisions without the confidence of allies would only perpetuate the mistrust between larger and small provinces.

“All this happened in the last two periods of government and we thought this time maybe after those bitter experiences your party would have realised now, but it has failed us again like before.”

Mengal concluded the letter by saying that Kakar’s nomination as the interim prime minister not only put an end to their politics, but the decision also created more distance between the BNP-M and PML-N.

PM felicitates Kakar on appointment as caretaker PM

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday congratulated Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar on his appointment as Caretaker Prime Minister and expressed confidence that he would ensure holding of free, fair, and impartial elections in the country, it was reported.

He was of the view that trust reposed by “all parties” in Kakar’s name proved their proper choice as the upcoming caretaker PM was “an educated person and patriot”.

He said under a constitutional process, they agreed upon the name of a suitable person and also thanked former leader of opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz for holding a consultation in that regard, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

PM Shehbaz prayed for the success of his caretaker successor and the upcoming caretaker setup.