blood
BANNED
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2011
- Messages
- 1,613
- Reaction score
- -7
- Country
- Location
By Tom Wright
Anna Hazares crusade against corruption has inspired at least one Pakistani to launch his own fast to protest graft, saying the problem is worse in his homeland than in India.
Mustafa Quraishi/Associated Press
Anna Hazares supporters shouted slogans and waved the national flag outside New Delhis Tihar jail on Tuesday.
Pakistani social activist Jehangeer Akhtar has announced his fast will begin in mid-September after the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims do not eat during the day.
Its clear from Mr. Akhtars statement announcing the fast that hes been influenced by Mr. Hazare, who himself has tapped into the Gandhian tradition of abstaining from food to achieve social and political goals.
In his list of demands, Mr. Akhtar, a 68-year-old whose day job is running a camera shop in Islamabad, asks for the Pakistan National Assembly to adopt legislation similar to the anti-graft Lokpal bill currently being debated by Indian lawmakers.
Mr. Akhtar says that corruption is a more pressing problem in Pakistan than India. Is he right?
Well, according to Transparency International, the Berlin-based anti-graft watchdog, he is. In its 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index India ranked 87, with the top position shared by Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore being the least corrupt nations. Pakistan came in at 143 in the survey of 178 countries.
India is as corrupt as Albania and Liberia, said the survey, which draws on expert assessments and business opinion surveys. Pakistan was sandwiched between Zimbabwe (less corrupt) and Haiti (more corrupt.)
Mr. Hazare and his swelling pool of supporters are embarrassed by this state of affairs and say the governments draft anti-graft bill is too soft on wrongdoers. They are demanding, among other things, that New Delhi drop a provision that shields a sitting premier and the countrys judges from the purview of the office of the anti-corruption ombudsman.
Mr. Hazare agreed last night to limit his fast to 15 days after the Indian government arrested him Tuesday as he began an indefinite fast. He is expected to resume his protest at the Ramlila grounds this afternoon.
Mr. Akhtars crusade is a little less focused. His main demand appears to be to get the Pakistan army to remove military cantonments from near residential areas. He seems to fear that in a coming unspecified war, an attack on these cantonments could lead to the death of civilians.
He also is pushing for a reduction in military spending, which eats up the lions share of Pakistans budget at the expense of education and health.
By citing Indias anti-corruption bill as a model to follow, Mr. Akhtar seems to be tilting at windmills.
Many Pakistanis, like their Indian neighbors, are tired of financial malfeasance from their politicians, armed forces and others. Yet civil society is much weaker over the border, and street protests other than those organized by Islamist parties are relatively rare. Mr. Akhtars quixotic campaign for now appears unlikely to garner much suppor
---------- Post added at 07:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:23 PM ----------
corruption is a common problem for both india and pakistan , its good to see that people of both the nations have realised it .
Anna Hazares crusade against corruption has inspired at least one Pakistani to launch his own fast to protest graft, saying the problem is worse in his homeland than in India.
Mustafa Quraishi/Associated Press
Anna Hazares supporters shouted slogans and waved the national flag outside New Delhis Tihar jail on Tuesday.
Pakistani social activist Jehangeer Akhtar has announced his fast will begin in mid-September after the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims do not eat during the day.
Its clear from Mr. Akhtars statement announcing the fast that hes been influenced by Mr. Hazare, who himself has tapped into the Gandhian tradition of abstaining from food to achieve social and political goals.
In his list of demands, Mr. Akhtar, a 68-year-old whose day job is running a camera shop in Islamabad, asks for the Pakistan National Assembly to adopt legislation similar to the anti-graft Lokpal bill currently being debated by Indian lawmakers.
Mr. Akhtar says that corruption is a more pressing problem in Pakistan than India. Is he right?
Well, according to Transparency International, the Berlin-based anti-graft watchdog, he is. In its 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index India ranked 87, with the top position shared by Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore being the least corrupt nations. Pakistan came in at 143 in the survey of 178 countries.
India is as corrupt as Albania and Liberia, said the survey, which draws on expert assessments and business opinion surveys. Pakistan was sandwiched between Zimbabwe (less corrupt) and Haiti (more corrupt.)
Mr. Hazare and his swelling pool of supporters are embarrassed by this state of affairs and say the governments draft anti-graft bill is too soft on wrongdoers. They are demanding, among other things, that New Delhi drop a provision that shields a sitting premier and the countrys judges from the purview of the office of the anti-corruption ombudsman.
Mr. Hazare agreed last night to limit his fast to 15 days after the Indian government arrested him Tuesday as he began an indefinite fast. He is expected to resume his protest at the Ramlila grounds this afternoon.
Mr. Akhtars crusade is a little less focused. His main demand appears to be to get the Pakistan army to remove military cantonments from near residential areas. He seems to fear that in a coming unspecified war, an attack on these cantonments could lead to the death of civilians.
He also is pushing for a reduction in military spending, which eats up the lions share of Pakistans budget at the expense of education and health.
By citing Indias anti-corruption bill as a model to follow, Mr. Akhtar seems to be tilting at windmills.
Many Pakistanis, like their Indian neighbors, are tired of financial malfeasance from their politicians, armed forces and others. Yet civil society is much weaker over the border, and street protests other than those organized by Islamist parties are relatively rare. Mr. Akhtars quixotic campaign for now appears unlikely to garner much suppor
---------- Post added at 07:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:23 PM ----------
corruption is a common problem for both india and pakistan , its good to see that people of both the nations have realised it .
