PESHAWAR, Sept 16: A group of civil society activists will launch a countrywide campaign against corruption, target killings and price hike. They will start the campaign by observing a token hunger strike outside the buildings of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and Peshawar High Court today (Saturday).

This was announced by Fayaz Ali Khan, the central convener of the movement “Baidar Pakistan”, while speaking at a press conference at Peshawar press club on Friday. He said it was time the nation should take a unified stand against corruption otherwise the country's future would be at stake.

Flanked by other activists, Mr Fayaz Ali said the political parties were blatantly violating their own manifestoes, avoiding holding elections in their parties despite tall claims of love for democracy.

The country, he said, was passing through a very critical situation and needed proper attention on part of the government but the rulers were least bothered to serve national interests and had focused attention only on accumulating wealth.

He said corruption, deteriorating law and order situation, terrorism and target killings had caused serious problems for the poor people who were unable to have shelter, food and security. He said the basic facilities of life like education, healthcare and peace were not available to the people and that was why the unrest among the masses was on the rise.

Mr Fayaz said it was the duty of every citizen to come forward, play effective role against corruption. He demanded formation of anti-corruption committees at district level to motivate the people and force the government to declare corruption as national crime.

He put forward various demands to eliminate corruption, including appointing a person in every government organisation on merit, awarding severe punishment to those found guilty of taking bribe and establishing free, fair, impartial and autonomous election commission. These demands, he said, should be made part of the constitution.

He said in the second phase a strike would be observed outside the National Assembly and all the provincial assemblies. While in the third phase hunger strike camps would be set up outside residences of the MNAs, MPAs and senators and in the fourth phase the civil society members from across the country, including AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, would march on Islamabad. — Bureau Report