ISLAMABAD: A startlingly small number of Pakistanis think the country is headed in the right direction, according to the results of a recent Gilani Poll conducted by Gallup Pakistan.
In a survey, a nationally representative sample of men and women from across the country were asked the following question:
In your opinion is our country going in the right or wrong direction?
The poll results revealed that only 18% Pakistanis think the country is headed in the right direction. 80% responded by saying that the country is headed in the wrong direction, while 2% did not maintain either view.
Ironically, the percentage that voted “right direction” is even lower in America where in a comparable survey, only 13% believed their country was headed in the right direction. A majority (85%) Americans believed their country is headed in the wrong direction.
The study was released by Gilani foundation and carried out by Gallup Pakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International.
The recent survey was carried out among a sample of 2,666 men and women in rural and urban areas of all four provinces of the country, from September 2 - September 08, 2011.
The error margin is estimated to be approximately + 2-3 per cent at 95% confidence level.
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pakistani people are well informed and connected people. they are extremely coherent in their views with world population.
Assalam-o-Allaikum Warahmatullah.The PPPP's government leaders are blind and have celebrated yesterday "White Cane Day" this is why they are not seeing 80% people's opinion about the government and if PPPP's leaders are so hopeful and optimistic then they should have to conduct survey themselves and see how many people support them and how many don't support and then analyze that how much they have been or are popular in the nation?Thus every thing will be clear and if PPPP's leaders are in any misconceptions then all misconceptions shall be cleared before them.They are proving wrongful the Quaid-e-Azam's statement in which he said that democracy is the name of majority and majority is never wrongful.This is absolutely truth and reality that PPPP's government has lost its credibility and popularity and has failed badly to take Pakistan towards the right and exact directions.I don't know why PPPP's leaders are not accepting this harsh reality and truth.
@Cynical: And the last elections brought in the PPP
@Moise: Well Spoken
This poll is very subjective. They should have first defined what are "right" and "wrong" directions.
It is conceivable that most of those who voted that the country is going in the wrong direction, probably meant that the country is getting away from strict Islam. A different poll taken recently showed over 75% of Pakistanis support extreme and primitive forms of punishments for adultery, blasphemy etc.
@Moise: Do you get paid for this?
Direction is a linear progression from point A to point B. Going in circles is called loop. The "pious then thy" nation had been going on viscous circle with India as it's center of revolution. Nothing till date Pakistan has done without keeping India in mind. It even chose friends and twisted it's foreign policies with countries with whom they seek just one thing "humiliation of India" and their support whether in terms of money or armaments against India. It is people's interest on their own self which leads them to take a positive or constructive direction. if you continue to remain interested in others (India) and not yourself then you could always hope for a miracle that the other falls so that you can have a laugh.
....and there are people who believe that the country is headed in no direction.
The remaining 20% includes the leaders, the army and the fundamentalists.
Unfortunately the 20% of Pakistanis who think that the country is heading in the right direction are in total control of the country
20% must be Mullahs and politicians.
@Omer: "I am surprised that it is not a hundred per cent of the population saying that we are headed in the wrong direction."
The Qadri supporters, the school attackers, the bhatta mafias, kabza mafias etc. must be thinking that with break down of law and order and governance - there is o accuntability for them and these are best possible times to live in.
I am surprised that it is not a hundred per cent of the population saying that we are headed in the wrong direction.
Vague question.
Vickram,
No the war of terror is not our 'only' problem you see :)
Startling small? You must be kidding! 18 percent is a LOT. I wonder what makes these people think the country's headed in the right direction. They must be from the govt!
wrong direction = going after the terrorists at the behest of US, the dark force on earth
lolz i wounder who are those 20 % who believes that it`s in right hands well they might be the one in government or the one having advantages of such government I wish Allah bless us with a fair leader !
@Pundit
Also remember majority of the sub-continent Muslims wanted partition.
Cant make out head and tail of these polls. What is :"Right" and what is "Wrong" direction. The shias and sunnis have diff right and wrong directions. The haves and havenots have diff right and wrong directions. The army and citizenry have diff right and wrong directions. The judiciary and the accused have diff wrong and right directions. ISI have wrong and right directions within itself, and so do the army, navy and airforce. What do the polls mean?? Nothing
" A majority (85%) Americans believed their country is headed in the wrong direction"
That says it all. Pakistanis want to become like americans so whatever happens to americans will also happen to Pakistanis...
The other 20 % must be politicians!
yeah, those 18% were sitting in the parliament i guess... -_0 ?
I thought it was 99.9%.
What is the right direction?
For humans, whose eyes of reasong are blindfolded, whose hearts devoid of compassion for fellow human beings, what distinction of right or left, front or back or up-and-down? In such a darkness they need first of all need to hold each other tightly and determine their Collective Being. Pakistan society is a like a pathological human body which lacks inner center!
Propaganda Technique "Cognitive dissonance" People desire to be consistent. Suppose a pollster finds that a certain group of people hates his candidate for senator but love actor A. They use actor A's endorsement of their candidate to change people's minds because people cannot tolerate inconsistency. They are forced to either to dislike the actor or like the candidate.
Polls like that are sketchy even if people are truthful and that's because people are selfish. The "right direction" usually means "whatever is good for the individual" example being if a large corporate business got pressured to help the poor or disagreed with product restrictions for quality, they would answer no. But, the poor and the consumer would then answer yes.
The question needs to be less vague, like citing an actual topic and asking for opinions about the direction of that specific topic.
...Ironically, the percentage that voted “right direction” is even lower in America where in a comparable survey, only 13% believed their country was headed in the right direction...
Not to worry....the majority is always wrong!