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Pakistan鈥檚 caretaker prime minister said he is 鈥榥ot being apologetic鈥� and 鈥榥ot trying to create the impression otherwise鈥� about being perceived as the military鈥檚 choice to run the country.

In an exclusive interview with the 鲍鱼tv鈥檚 HARDtalk programme, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar acknowledged that 鈥榩eople do view me as someone who鈥檚 quite close to the military establishment鈥�. Speaking with Zeinab Badawi on a visit to London, the caretaker prime minister, who was appointed in August to oversee upcoming national elections, said this perception was due to his 鈥榓nalysis鈥� of the 鈥榬easons for this imbalance in the civil-military relationship鈥�.

The military has heavily influenced Pakistan for most of its existence and is a crucial behind-the-scenes player in the country's politics. Mr Kakar said this is because civil institutions 鈥榝ail and they have deteriorated their capacity in the last four or five decades鈥�, whereas the military 鈥榟as gained strength. So whenever a challenge occurs on account of the governance, the government has to rely on that military鈥�.

Asked whether in essence he was saying that the military鈥檚 strength was justifiable because civilians aren鈥檛 capable of delivering, Mr Kakar responded: 鈥榩ragmatically of course, yes鈥�.

In Pakistan a neutral caretaker government oversees the national elections. Usually those elections should be held within 90 days, but the next elections are scheduled for the end of January, five months after Mr Kakar鈥檚 August appointment.

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