Hunger strike: On the seventh day, hints of a resolution

MNA Farahnaz Ispahani promises to bring representatives from all political parties to Akhtar.

ISLAMABAD: After seven days without food and almost total disregard from parliamentarians and the mainstream media, Raja Jahangir Akhtar’s hunger strike to death showed signs that death may just be averted. After an interactive session for a TV talk show, Akhtar spoke with his supporters, including a number of students who had come to show their support for the 68-year-old political activist.

Most notably, MNA Farahnaz Ispahani, the president’s spokesperson, visited and tried to convince Akhtar to end the strike, but Akhtar adamantly refused, saying that he will only end if work on a bill starts. As Parliament is currently in recess, Ispahani offered to arrange for a group of representatives from all major parties to negotiate with Akhtar, which he accepted, while reiterating that his hunger strike would end when the bill is tabled.

Earlier, Zohare Haider, a supporter of Akhtar’s cause, when asked about the low attendance, said, “Social media can only do so much, print and TV need to support the cause, and it would have been nice to see Pakistani media provide coverage to Jahangir Akhtar’s cause as [the Pakistani media] did for Anna Hazare in India.”

Later, addressing the crowd, Akhtar called the military “an institution for which we, the people, have sacrificed everything; education, health and social services, but for this our return has been nothing.”

When asked by The Express Tribune why the number of supporters keeps fluctuating, the noticeably weakened Akhtar answered, “I don’t expect people to spend all day here, and I am thankful to the thousands who have come here simply to say ‘God be with you’.”

A student from Karachi, who was also disappointed by the low turnout over the last week, said, “Our people only want short term gains, they don’t care about the big picture.”

He added, “We spend so much on the army, if we had more to spend on education, would the mess in Karachi exist?”

On the possible impact of the strike, Air Commodore (retd) Sajad Haider quoted Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who said in 1945, “Corruption is a curse in India and amongst Muslims, especially the so-called educated and intelligentsia. Unfortunately, it is this class that is selfish and morally and intellectually corrupt. No doubt this disease is common, but amongst this particular class of Muslims it is rampant.”

Haider added, “Our young people need jazba (passion), they cannot be afraid.” He termed the current crop of leaders beyond redemption, as he recalled NA member and former minister Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi’s comment that “corruption is our right”.

As he headed home, Haider lamented, “[We] are not a democracy, we are an oligarchy. By calling this a democracy, the west is being hypocritical and we would like to trade this with them and see how they like it.”

After Isphahani left, Akhtar told The Express Tribune, “My friends have told me, your death will accomplish nothing, as alive, you are a vocal supporter of an important cause, but until the bill is accepted, I am here. My age is indeed a factor, but don’t try to save me, save this country.”

However, his sons, Jawad and Junaid, were worried about his health, noting that unlike the last time, he is much older now and has sugar and heart problems; the doctor wants him to end his strike, but he is refusing. Junaid added, “For us, his well being is the biggest thing.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th,  2011.