ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad businessman plans a fast against corruption and high military spending, mirroring a move in neighbouring India where efforts to stop popular anti-graft activist Anna Hazare from a hunger strike this week sparked national protests.
The protest by Jahangir Akhtar, an Islamabad businessman who has fasted before to draw attention to bad governance, is not slated to begin until after the Muslim fasting month of Ramazan ends.
He says the campaign is for "Pakistan to bring a bill in the parliament against corruption ... and to cut the budget of the army of Pakistan."
But Akhtar says although he supports Hazare's protest, the Gandhian-style campaigner is not his inspiration.
"I announced my hunger strike before Anna Hazare, but due to Ramazan I postponed it, because our custom in Pakistan is that I cannot take water during Ramazan."
Akhtar plans to start his strike on September 12.
Akhtar says he hopes he will draw enough attention to the issue that an anti-corruption bill will be introduced in the National Assembly, and that funds will be directed away from the military budget and towards tackling issues that affect the population, like the nation's beleaguered power sector.
"Pakistan is a developing country, and in our country the two most important problems are corruption and the high percentage of expenditure that goes on our army budget."
Pakistan is also regularly listed as one of the world's most corrupt countries, with Transparency International raking it as the 34th most corrupt in 2010.
"In Pakistan the situation is worse now," Akhtar said. "The economic crisis is here, terrorism is here, there is political instability. There are a lot of problems that reflect on our society. I am trying to show - and say - the Pakistan common man has power."
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@vickram:
muslims are not more than 16% right vikram??
even if all vote en masse for the congress (not counting those who still vainly for the muslim league or those for whom the BSP is like a messiah), it will only serve to be the cherry on the top, a swinging shot if u will at crucial movement.
The congress still needs a whole lot of Hindu and sikh and other votes to even think of using the final blow (the muslim vote bank) in their favor.
@Kanishka
Do you have evidence that Muslim leaders are preventing Muslims from joining the protest? Some names of Muslim leaders are in fact there in the link I provided. I personally know Muslims who are participating actively in the protests. You are entitled to your opinion, but I do not see any evidence to back your assertion.
I hope Mr. Jahangir Akhtar won't be labelled as RAW agent and make this protest anti national because he questioned Army spending?
@Kanishka
How do you make sweeping conclusions that common Muslims are not showing interest? Can you point out who is Muslim or Christian or Jain etc amidst a large crowd?
Or should Muslims wear prayer caps and say "Hey look I'm a Muslim and supporting Anna" just to satisfy some skeptics like you?
@ vickram, its not just Indian Muslim but also Indian Hindu voted congress to power, Congress fooled India in the name of aam adami and secularism.
@Ejaaz: Calm down, who know even he(kanishka) is an Indian.
@Ejaaz: In India, Muslims are the backbone for Congress. In fact, it is the chunk of Muslim votes that has enabled Congress to win many seats in the First-past-the-post-winner election.
And this agitation is largely directed against Congress which everyone knows shields corrupt people like DMK, who is their coalition partner. That is why, whether Ramadan or not, you won't find Muslims supporting any agitation that is likely to erode the electoral value of Congress.
As long as Muslims continue to support Congress en masse, corruption in India will not go.
@kanishka Secondly I would like to tell you that your assumption that "ALL muslims wear skullcaps and veils" reeks of stereotyping of the worst category. Do you a muslim only dresses in skullcaps and veils?? So you think because you didn't see many skullcaps you automatically assumed there were not many muslims. in my company approx. 8% - 10% of the workforce is muslim but hardly anyone wears a skullcap to work.
If you see a lot of muslims following that dress code, Im sure you would shout on the top of your lungs about how 'Indian Muslims are not ready join the mainstream'. Very similar to that, a lot of hindus complain about how muslims, even educated ones, prefer staying in muslim areas. Can you guarantee, that the next time (God Forbid) a communal riot breaks out, the police would be non communal and work to prevent bloodshed. Ive moved twice due to this and no, this time im going to stick with my 'own' no matter how unlivable it may seem.
Thank you kanishka, for keeping the communal spirit alive. When 'educated' hindus indulge in such blatant stereotyping, I wonder what one can expect from the hordes of laymen. Perhaps they could be better..who knows
A new movement to keep the people of South Asia busy.
@kanishka
Do you think it is easy for us to join the protests given that it is already ramadhan and our throats are bone dry without water.
We cannot even drink water or our own spit and to take part in such rigorous activities with the added suspicion that the police will have...
have you ever thought from this angle...ever so vigilant to introduce a communal angle to it...
hatred doesn't lead anywhere
Common guys cooll down.India and pakistan are neighbors .if we work together we can change our conditions in every way. I hope we become good friends
@MQ
I disagree with you.....Common Muslim must be willing to participate, but the leaders(deoband, barelvi, AIMPLB etc) are not allowing them to do so... The muslim power is tremendous in India, they have not been unleashed even 1% in this movement....I am talking about street protest after Friday Prayers.... I am expecting my muslim brothers to support anna in huge numbers...This anticorruption movement is for all...poor-rich, dalit-brahmin, hindu-muslim etc
The muslim power is tremendous in India, they have not been unleashed even 1% in this movement.... They can be a great force multiplier..
@ICaughtYou: I am an Indian. I cant give my passport details copy to prove that. My name is Dinesh Chetti. You can write it as Chetti, Chetty, Setty, Shettigar or whatever. Please do not call even a spelling mistake as a "Grammatical mistake". Dinesh Chetti
@Kanishka:
I think it is a pity that you try to introduce a Hindu Muslim angle intto even the movement against corruption!
For the record though, I draw your attention to the list of people who founded the "India Against Corruption" movement. See
http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/aboutus.html
I do see a few Muslim and Christian names there.
If a guy in Islamabad realizes the problems of common people and roaming in streets to help needy people. He spends two nights in week and dedicated his life for helping people. We should learn from them. This is the time to unite.
Yes keep it up !! but i guess intelligence agencies will act against it !
Some highlights from his interview :-
Apart from corruption, another issue that he wants to highlight during his hunger strike is Pakistan's soaring defense budget because of "the mindset that the stability of Pakistan is endangered due to India". "A group of politicians propagate such mindset. The politicians are answerable...on which front are we in danger?" Pakistan has hiked defence allocation to Rs.495 billion in a total budget of Rs. 2,504 billion (around $30 billion) for 2011-12. "Is it not true that we started the 1965 war and lost East Pakistan in 1971 due to our follies?" he asked.
source :- http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/anna-effect-crosses-border-into-pakistan-127401
@ICaughtYou: to Dinesh "Use your real name buddy,or try not to make grammatical mistake in writing pure hindi word" I can't vouch for Dinesh but the only Hindi word he has used is "Ahimsa" and it is pronounced exactly as he has spelled it! Let us not be always suspicious and looking for conspiracies as Pakistanis! It takes away the fun in life!
i don't support this protest in the current regime of corruption infested ppp he is taking a protest againt the army which is the only institution protecting pakistan he could not see anybody else in the long list of politicans who have done corruption in billion just to quote some nicl monis elahi hajj scam abdul qadir gillani son of prime minister gilani swiss bank accounts and many many more by asif ali zardari paper mills and money laundering by nazwaz sharif
these are just the big names small ones start with sharmila farooqi steel mills and many many more
and he is taking a protest against army.
Jahangir Akhtar's proposed fast is sponsored by Indian RAW, CIA & Mossad or otherwise what is this fasting which is not known to us.
@Kanishka: You ignorant have you watched the indian channels carefully for protests in dilshukh nagar hyderabad , kerala,chennai ahmednagar,ahmedabad where only burkha clad muslim women were visible protesting in support of Anna ratther hindus were in saree or hindu males inwith tilak were absent or the christians were missing in long cloak with cross.
Well done Jahangir Akhtar!, It is better to light a candle than mere curse darkness.
Kudo's to ET for publishing this article -- now keep it in the news so it can gain some traction.
@Dinesh: Use your real name buddy,or try not to make grammatical mistake in writing pure hindi word.
I request my fellow Indians not to behave like kids. Everybody in this world should appreciate non violence way of protesting. I wish Pakiatanis too achieve great things without shedding blood. Good luck. Ahimsa is much more powerful tool than what many people think!
@mohammed - imran khan has done sit up against nato tankers , drone attack agreed,but different between imran and anna hazare is that :- 1) imrans one and last stop id PM while 2)Mr anna hazare regadless of who is in govt. wish do his job done by govt , he not politician he is proven social worker.He just one from common man.
pakis are copying us in EACH AND EVERY field. This is just another instance.
@Hindu Indian:
Dont be so mean and prude,
Fasting and protesting is not our's (India's) Bapauti (fathers inherited right)
Carry on Jahangir Akhtar, Rabndranath Tagor aptly said .. Ekla chaalo re (walk alone)
in Pakistan such events will fail
for low ethical awareness and bad education.
I am in. Against military or not. i am sick of our politicians.
@sam: have u been asleep ? Imran Khan has been holding portests all year !. Corruption is far bigger an Issue in India than Pakistan.Pakistan has a governance problem . As for Military Spending the Higher the better, we need more helicopters,Soliders and Security checkpoints to fight taliban and Indian backed terrorist
But isnt this below the "accepted level" of a righteous Pakistani Muslim. I mean he is imitating a Indian Hindu. Wat all do i have to see before i die :( :(
Good initiative but point 2 may be quite risky.
i think someone shud be the first one... We are With you... Time to Change our leadership!
@John: unwanted, unrelated and juvenile comment ! if you dont have anything positive or constructive, as a fellow Indian can i humbly say please be quiet.
Why business community only, the whole nation should fast against corruption because every one is suffering except the corrupt politicians.
Thanks to our neighbor India, Finally some people are taking initiative ... :)
Now thats what we wanted . . . . awakening . . .
To have a protest, you need unity... I am sure that will not happen in pakistan like it happens in india... He is going to sit alone....
Noble intentions, but given the protest is against high military spending he will probably be labeled a traitor!