Majority of Pakistanis want Sharif as President: Survey

Islamabad, Dec 20 (PTI) An overwhelming majority of
Pakistanis believe the country is moving in the wrong
direction and nearly 60 percent would rather prefer Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif as President
than Asif Ali Zardari, a survey has said.

Eighty eight percent of the respondents in the poll
conducted by the US-based International Republican Institute
(IRI) said Pakistan is moving in the wrong direction, while 73
percent said the economic situation had worsened in the past
year.

A total of 76 percent rated the Pakistan People's Party
(PPP)-led government's performance on key issues as poor, up
from 51 percent in a survey conducted by IRI in June.

Sixty-seven percent replied in the negative when asked
if things would be better now as there is a democratically
elected Parliament and President in Pakistan.

While 59 percent of Pakistanis surveyed said they would
prefer Sharif as President, only 19 percent backed Zardari
for the job. Sixty three percent also said they disapproved
of Zardari's performance while only 19 percent approved it.

Asked which leader could best handle the problems facing
the country, 31 percent of respondents backed PML-N chief and
former premier Nawaz Sharif while President Zardari was
supported by eight percent and former President Pervez
Musharraf by three percent.

Among the respondents, 64 percent said they liked slain
former premier and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and 60
percent said they liked Sharif, while 65 percent said they
disliked Zardari.

Significantly, the number of people who said the powerful
army should have no role in politics fell from 62 percent in
June to 49 percent in the latest survey, which was conducted
by IRI during October 15-30.

Forty-two percent said the army should have a role, up
from 27 percent in June.

Asked if they felt more secure this year compared to last
year, 78 percent replied in the negative.

A total of 52 percent also said the country had not made
important steps towards democracy despite the election of a
new Parliament and President, the resignation of former
President Pervez Musharraf and separation of the posts of
President and army chief.

Forty-two percent said they wanted the PML-N back in the
government while 60 percent held Zardari responsible for the
split between the two parties in August.

A total of 54 percent said they would support a peace
deal with extremists, down from 64 percent in June while 60
percent said religious extremism is a serious problem in
Pakistan.

The survey covered 3,500 people in all four provinces of
Pakistan, IRI said. PTI RHL
PMR
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