Due to the plague that our Country is infected with, Raja Jahangir Akhtar has announced to go on a hunger strike until death against Corruption and high military expenditures which our economy cannot afford. He demands that Anti Corruption Laws be introduced by the Legislature and enforced through the Courts immediately against every one found guilty including politicians, bureaucrats, personnel of the Armed forces who have and are indulging in corrupt practices and everyone holding a public office. Raja Jahangir Akhtar issued a press release that he is going on a hunger strike until death in July, 2011. However, this strike had to be postponed in order to protect the sanctity of the Holy month of Ramadan and now this hunger strike shall begin on the 12th day of September, 2011 and will continue till the demands are met.
Raja Jahangir Akhtar was born to a poor family in the year 1943 in Rawal Pindi. He went to a local school in his village till the 5th grade after which he was forced to leave since his family could not afford further education. In order to provide for his family he started working in factories situated in Rawalpindi at a very tender age of 13. Since then Raja Jahangir Akhtar has lead a life of struggles in order to ensure a better future for his children and other family members.
At the age of 21 Raja Jahangir Akhtar was made the Information Secretary of Hosiery Workman Union Rawalpindi. In 1967 all the owners of the Hosiery Mills decided not to employ him as he was bent upon safeguarding the rights of the laborers. He was unemployed for six months where after he joined the Pakistan Army as a gunner and left the services in 1972 to join the Hosiery industry again. Once again he was made the Information Secretary of the Hosiery Workmen Union which resulted in him being banned by the mill owners of Rawalpindi after which he moved to Islamabad to start his own shop with his family.
In the year 1983, Raja Jahangir Akhtar was nominated the Secretary of the Islamabad City for MRD (Movement for the restoration of democracy) and the political activist was arrested and sentenced to a one year rigorous imprisonment coupled with 10 lashes by the then Dictator Zia ul Haq. However, he was acquitted after spending six months in prison and the sentence of 10 lashes was not carried out either.
Raja Jahangir Akhtar went on a hunger strike until death for the first time in the year 1991 which was aimed at the enactment of Rental Laws in order to protect the tenant traders of Islamabad who were always faced with the possibility of being evicted from their businesses without being afforded a fair trial whereas rental laws were in force in the rest of the Country. This strike lasted 6 days and was only called off after a commitment from the then Government, that rental laws for Islamabad City will be enacted on a priority basis. However, the said laws were never enacted thus, Raja Jahangir Akhtar had no choice but to go on a hunger strike again and this time the strike lasted 22 days. Today, Islamabad has rental laws in the shape of the Islamabad Rent Restriction Ordinance of 2001 where under the tenants are granted some rights and protection against the influential landlord and a tenant today cannot be evicted from his business without being afforded a fair trial. It is imperative to mention here that Raja Jahangir Akhtar is the owner of the property in which he runs his business hence, it is safe to state that the aforementioned hunger strikes were for a cause that he truly believed in which was not tainted with greed or malice.
Moreover, General Pervez Mushrraf in his bit to retain power suspended the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and detained the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan along with his family at their residence in Islamabad where neither the Chief Justice nor his family members were allowed to leave their residence. Raja Jahangir Akhtar along with the late Iqbal Bali, went on a hunger strike and demanded that the family of the Chief Justice be allowed to leave the house and carry on with their day to day functions as they do not have anything to do with the controversy that had ensued between the Judiciary and the Executive. This hunger strike lasted six days and was only brought to an end as soon as the establishment released the family of the Chief Justice and allowed it to roam freely at will.
Raja Jahangir Akhtar has been affiliated with the Pakistan People’s Party for over four decades and was formerly the President of the Islamabad chapter of the PPP. He is to date facing a number of false cases which are under trial that were registered against him during the battle for the independence of Judiciary.
Raja Jahangir Akhtar was born to a poor family in the year 1943 in Rawal Pindi. He went to a local school in his village till the 5th grade after which he was forced to leave since his family could not afford further education. In order to provide for his family he started working in factories situated in Rawalpindi at a very tender age of 13. Since then Raja Jahangir Akhtar has lead a life of struggles in order to ensure a better future for his children and other family members.
At the age of 21 Raja Jahangir Akhtar was made the Information Secretary of Hosiery Workman Union Rawalpindi. In 1967 all the owners of the Hosiery Mills decided not to employ him as he was bent upon safeguarding the rights of the laborers. He was unemployed for six months where after he joined the Pakistan Army as a gunner and left the services in 1972 to join the Hosiery industry again. Once again he was made the Information Secretary of the Hosiery Workmen Union which resulted in him being banned by the mill owners of Rawalpindi after which he moved to Islamabad to start his own shop with his family.
In the year 1983, Raja Jahangir Akhtar was nominated the Secretary of the Islamabad City for MRD (Movement for the restoration of democracy) and the political activist was arrested and sentenced to a one year rigorous imprisonment coupled with 10 lashes by the then Dictator Zia ul Haq. However, he was acquitted after spending six months in prison and the sentence of 10 lashes was not carried out either.
Raja Jahangir Akhtar went on a hunger strike until death for the first time in the year 1991 which was aimed at the enactment of Rental Laws in order to protect the tenant traders of Islamabad who were always faced with the possibility of being evicted from their businesses without being afforded a fair trial whereas rental laws were in force in the rest of the Country. This strike lasted 6 days and was only called off after a commitment from the then Government, that rental laws for Islamabad City will be enacted on a priority basis. However, the said laws were never enacted thus, Raja Jahangir Akhtar had no choice but to go on a hunger strike again and this time the strike lasted 22 days. Today, Islamabad has rental laws in the shape of the Islamabad Rent Restriction Ordinance of 2001 where under the tenants are granted some rights and protection against the influential landlord and a tenant today cannot be evicted from his business without being afforded a fair trial. It is imperative to mention here that Raja Jahangir Akhtar is the owner of the property in which he runs his business hence, it is safe to state that the aforementioned hunger strikes were for a cause that he truly believed in which was not tainted with greed or malice.
Moreover, General Pervez Mushrraf in his bit to retain power suspended the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and detained the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan along with his family at their residence in Islamabad where neither the Chief Justice nor his family members were allowed to leave their residence. Raja Jahangir Akhtar along with the late Iqbal Bali, went on a hunger strike and demanded that the family of the Chief Justice be allowed to leave the house and carry on with their day to day functions as they do not have anything to do with the controversy that had ensued between the Judiciary and the Executive. This hunger strike lasted six days and was only brought to an end as soon as the establishment released the family of the Chief Justice and allowed it to roam freely at will.
Raja Jahangir Akhtar has been affiliated with the Pakistan People’s Party for over four decades and was formerly the President of the Islamabad chapter of the PPP. He is to date facing a number of false cases which are under trial that were registered against him during the battle for the independence of Judiciary.
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