Sulehri said 29 per cent of registered voters intended to vote for PPP whereas 24.7 per cent pledged support for PML-N and 20.3 per cent for PTI. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
There is a consensus among Pakistanis that unemployment and energy shortage are the two biggest economic issues facing the country. They are also equally opposed to drone strikes and the presence of foreign militants, according to the findings of a survey unveiled on Tuesday.
“Political Barometer: A Study of Socio-Political Preferences of People of Pakistan,” an opinion survey, jointly conducted by Herald Pakistan and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in 54 districts was launched at a local hotel.
SDPI Executive Director Abid Sulehri said the survey was an academic exercise to gauge the level of consensus on issues such as law and order, corruption, poverty, extremism, education, health, economic and foreign policies. Aiming to reach about 1,000 respondents, stratified sampling was used to integrate various demographic elements into the survey which was carried out in 52 districts and two tribal agencies by 100 interviewers.
Sulehri said 29 per cent of registered voters intended to vote for PPP whereas 24.7 per cent pledged support for PML-N and 20.3 per cent for PTI. Survey findings indicate PTI derives support from all ages, dispelling the notion that its vote bank is concentrated in the younger generation, he added. “Looking at these results and voting histories, the PML-N’s vote bank appears to be stagnant while the PPP’s seems to have declined significantly, whose voters appear to be shifting towards PTI.”
Around 66 per cent of the respondents believe Balochistan gets the least attention from the federal government, while 42 per cent of respondents believe interprovincial relations are disharmonious, but they are divided about the creation of new provinces.
SDPI Deputy Executive Director Dr Vaqar shared socioeconomic trends of the survey and said majority of the respondents supported increased spending on education and health while making a substantial cut in the defence budget. They also termed the military as the strongest institution, while the judiciary came second.
He said 57 per cent strongly opposed drone strikes while they considered the presence of foreign militants on Pakistani soil as a violation of sovereignty. China was the most popular country and the respondents also called for stronger ties with Islamic and Saarc countries with 88 per cent and 74 per cent support respectively, he added.
Sulehri said society was getting more radicalised and it could be gauged from the fact that 53 per cent want the government to promote hijab, 30 percent consider honour killing acceptable. Around 26 per cent want the government to ban women working alongside men and 19 per cent want a ban on women contesting elections and taking parts in sports, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2013.
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Survey Report never always hundred percent correct ups and dpwns are a indispensable part of it.
When you refer PML- tops voting intention list in Punjab survey, It mean you are over looking present ground reality,pleas don't disregard Pakistan tereeke insaf which enjoing popular support this time.
Ground reality is that no political in position to gain crucial majority in the upcoming election. There are 100% chance of coliation in the centre and in punjab too. Power and gas short fall has destroyed the popularity of the major parties. Sindh cart is being played on the other hand Punjab card is also being used,both the cards are useless because both the major parties has been failed provide remarkable relief to the people. Express tribune has published survey report the same is acceptable to some extend,PPP's popularity has wrongly been stated as 29%.
Energy shortage now has been the biggest ever problem for Pakistan because severe energy shortage is causing the unemployment because factories and industries are going to sell and close due to severe energy shortage because in Pakistan more than 50% workers belong to the industries and factories and Pakistani factories' and industries' owners have shifted their billions of Rupees in China,Bangladesh and India by selling their factories and industries and their workers have been unemployed......
29% to vote for PPP, I cant believe this. Defies logic by all standards. Also, how promoting hijab makes a society radicalized? I wish if these liberals had studied Islamic from better perspective.