Anna Hazare fever may grip Pakistan too: Report

The time may have come for an Anna Hazare type campaign against corruption in Pakistan, the Dawn newspaper said Thursday.

An editorial in the mass circulation paper said that parallels can be drawn between India and Pakistan on the issue of corruption.

"Pakistan is perceived as corrupt not just by the public mindset but also in the findings of international watchdogs that keep track of such matters," it said.

The editorial said "The time may have come for the same sort of dissent in Pakistan... Other voices too must be raised if we are serious about salvaging society."

The Dawn also asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to realise that many in India were beginning to peacefully rise against corruption.

"Anna Hazare has added a dynamic new twist to the corruption allegations plaguing the government in New Delhi," it said.

The daily said Hazare's fast was aimed at highlighting "the perceived impropriety in the government's handling of matters where millions can be made and pocketed if ethical values are not followed by the book.

"The question now is: will concrete action be taken in a country that touts itself as a modern, secular democracy?

"Will the recent episodes, which started with the award of telecommunication contracts, be `red-washed` in bureaucratic tape?

"Do key figures in the Indian administration have too much to lose if the truth comes out in its entirety? We will have to wait and see."

Hazare has been fasting in New Delhi's Tihar Jail since he was arrested Tuesday. He has since been ordered freed, and he is expected to shift to a new venue to continue his hunger strike.