Emulate Kejriwal, says Pakistani daily

Islamabad, Feb 16: A leading Pakistani daily Sunday called for emulating Arvind Kejriwal, who quit as chief minister of India's national capital, and said that "his simple demeanour and cry against corruption is a model the Pakistani aam aadmi could in time be inspired to try out".

An editorial "Delhi at a distance" in the Dawn appeared two days after Kejriwal tendered his resignation, bringing the curtains down on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government that lasted 49 days in Delhi.

"In Arvind Kejriwal, the aam aadmi, or common man, in Pakistan did not just see an Indian politician out to entertain peeping neighbours with his public antics," said the editorial.

It lauded Kejriwal's "simple demeanour and cry against corruption" and called it "a model the Pakistani aam aadmi could in time be inspired to try out, depending on Kejriwal's journey in New Delhi".

Though the AAP journey in Delhi has been stalled, the editorial said that Kejriwal's tenure lasted "more than Atal Behari Vajpayee's 13-day first stint as prime minister all those years ago".

It stressed that the AAP, which was formed over a year back, "cannot as yet be written off as a flash-in-the-pan player".

But, it warned, that there are serious dangers about its future, "given the 'uncompromising position' Kejriwal was found in right at the time of his hasty departure".

It went on to say that the "problem with the aam aadmi everywhere is that his understanding of issues and his solutions are simple".

"Kejriwal had the awareness to peg his politics to corruption but he must have been bluffing when he said he expected established parties such as Congress and BJP to allow AAP a free way for the passage of laws to fight this disease."

"They did not give him the expected space and he is now left with the task of widening his challenge and relaunching his campaign for real power."

The daily said that Kejriwal, 45, has been "advised to be more discreet and practise the art of the possible rather than go for the forbidden".

"This is exactly the course other aam aadmis have taken to graduate in politics. Only they are no more aam once they reach up there."

IANS