‘Lacklustre response from Urdu media hurts’

Akhtar’s hunger strike to continue.

ISLAMABAD:

Jahangir Akhtar has not received the kind of encouragement from media, civil society and people as was seen in Anna Hazare’s case in India.

However this has not discouraged the businessman and political activist, as he continued into the third day of his “fast unto death”, promising that he will continue till his demands are met, or would die in the protest camp.

Akhtar began his strike against corruption, disproportionate allocations for military and rising obscurantism in society on Monday, however, unlike Hazare, Akhtar has been unable to generate the same strength in numbers, and the media, particularly TV and the Urdu print media, have marginalised his efforts and offered little assistance in attracting the attention of people towards a cause with universally acceptable goals.

Civil society activist Farzana Bari visited different markets on Wednesday and asked people to come forward and join hands with Akhtar. Otherwise, she feared, “he will die of hunger.”

“The difference in the thinking of people in Pakistan and India is that the masses in India are still optimistic that change will come, but here, people have lost all hope and think that change is impossible,” Akhtar said.

He was disappointed with the Urdu press and electronic media. About not being covered live on television, he said, “I never hold back my words against certain bodies; that’s why the media is reluctant to cover [my strike] live.”

However, just hours after speaking with The Express Tribune, a number of prominent political and civil society figures came to show their support, including PPP leader and Supreme Court Bar Association President at the time of the lawyer’s movement Aitzaz Ahsan, Advocate Athar Minallah, Pir Mehmood Shah and Pakistan Brohi Party Sindh leaders.

Ahsan said, “Jahangir Akhtar is a brave man, who will remain steadfast till his demands are met.”

The hunger strike is now being webcast live on Akhtar’s Facebook community page.



Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2011.