Public opinion: PML-N approved by 62% Pakistani

PILDAT survey also finds that 32% respondents accord Premier Nawaz Sharif poor rating.

ISLAMABAD:

An overwhelming 62 per cent respondents in a Pakistan-wide poll survey have given the federal government the thumbs-up.

The survey also found that 32 % respondents give the federal government a poor rating.

On International Day of Democracy, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) released a public survey on performance of governance and democracy in the first 100 days of federal and provincial governments. The verdict is based on a nation-wide public opinion poll commissioned by PILDAT.

The balance of good and poor rating or the Net Performance Rating (NPR) is 30.

Punjab (56) gives very high NPR to Nawaz Sharif government followed by Balochistan (22), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (-4) and Sindh (-12) in that order.

On the matter of load-shedding, 52% gave positive rating to federal government, while 46% gave negative ratings, thus, the NPR stand at 6.

According to the survey, 46% gave good performance rating to the government in dealing with the issue of terrorism, 51% gave poor rating. The NPR is thus -5.

On the issue of addressing key foreign policy matters, the positive ratings are 57%, while negative ratings are 38%. Thus the NPR is 19.

Survey states that the positive rating by the federal government in achieving harmonious relations with political opposition in the Parliament is 59%, while the negative ratings are 35%. Thus the NPR is 24.

According to the survey, the positive ratings achieved by the federal government on dealing with armed forces are 58%, while the negative ratings are 32%. Thus the NPR is 26.

Some 31% give positive rating on the subject. In other words they are satisfied with the quality of the Federal Cabinet chosen by the Prime Minister. As opposed to this, 18% give it a poor rating.

Some 54% give positive performance rating to the federal government in dealing with the problem of corruption, while 41% gave negative rating. Thus the NPR is 13.

The federal government’s poorest rating was received on elimination of nepotism. According to the survey, 45% give positive performance ratings to the federal government on the subject, while 48% give negative ratings.

Punjab government gets the best rating out of the four provincial governments. Its NPR Index is 73, while the Sindh government gets the poorest NPR, which is -2. The NPR for the K-P government stands at 26 and 17 for Balochistan government.

Punjab CM is the clear winner in a popularity contest in which all Pakistanis voted irrespective of their province of residence.

Survey findings show that 59% voted in favour of Shahbaz Sharif as the best performing chief minister, followed by Qaim Ali Shah at 18%, Pervaiz Khattak at 9% and Abdul Malik Baloch at 4%.

In each province, their respective chief ministers enjoy most popularity with the exception of Balochistan in which chief minister Punjab is the most popular. In other two provinces, namely Sindh and K-P, chief minister Punjab is a close second choice of public.

Fairness of General Election 2013 got an NPR of -1 as 31% nationwide respondents caused aspersions on the fairness of the elections, while 30% said the elections was more transparent than the previous election held in 2008.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2013.