Veteran business leader starts hunger strike for the promotion of education

Lahore: Veteran business leader Jahangir Akhtar has embarked on a hunger strike to press the business community to sacrifice a small part of their income for the promotion of education in the country.

He will start hunger strike at F-6, Super Market, on Monday to draw attention of the business community towards increasing terrorism, lawlessness, and extortion which he believes could be contained through provision of free quality education to generate employment opportunities for the jobless youth.

Speaking to the business community, Jahangir Akhtar, who is also a social and political activist, said that terrorism and other social problems cannot be contained by administrative measures as overpowering the reasons behind has become imperative.

Increasing anarchy is linked to population explosion, unemployment and heightening hunger in the country. Tens of millions of youth have run out of options but to fall prey to crimes and target business community is absence of job opportunities, he said.

He called upon the business community to contribute an additional ten per cent of their income tax as educational tax which will help safeguard their life and property and their future generations as government alone is unable to overcome the pressing problems.

Government will have no say in utilising the funds collected by the business community except planning; he said adding that such a move will help establish quality educational institutions providing good schooling as well as technical skills to youth who would be able to earn a respectable living.

Moreover, the veteran leader said, Pakistan would be able to export surplus manpower to boost its forex reserves through remittances.

He demanded of the government to start legislation in this regard so that collected funds could be handed over to district education boards to be utilised in transparent manner as business community has no confidence in the integrity of the government functionaries.  I will continue the hunger strike unless my demands are met, he warned.