Pakistan

PTI more popular than PML-N: survey

More people satisfied with performance of CM Punjab than any other chief minister

Ismail Sheikh October 28, 2015

32.5% of the respondents said they would vote for Imran Khan’s PTI if elections are held tomorrow PHOTO: PTI

KARACHI: A new survey has found Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to be more popular than the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, just days after another recent survey declared Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif more popular than any other leader in the country.

According to the Political Barometer 2015, conducted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, 32.5% of the respondents said they would vote for Imran Khan’s PTI if elections are held tomorrow, while over 27% picked PML-N. While only 14% said they’ll vote for PPP, the party is still strong in Sindh with over 41% respondents in the province willing to vote PPP.

Survey records Nawaz’s approval rating at 75%

As per the survey, with 23% of votes, people consider unemployment the biggest challenge Pakistan is facing, followed closely by corruption at 21%. Terrorism and load shedding are considered the third biggest problems.

Almost half of the total respondents believe that corruption has increased in the last three years and see the police as the most corrupt department. The media is viewed as the least corrupt segment of society with just one per cent of votes.

Meanwhile, 27% of people believe that the army and Rangers have played a significant role in controlling corruption in the country, along with the media and superior judiciary.

Armed forces most trusted institution in Pakistan: survey

Although the PTI came out as the most popular political party in the country as per the survey, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif fared better than any other chief minister with 49% of the respondents from Punjab satisfied with his performance, followed by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak with 43% of the respondents claiming they are satisfied with his performance.

On the other hand, people of Sindh are the least satisfied with their chief minister with only 11% voting in favour of his leadership.

Additionally, 65% of the respondents believe that Punjab is better at maintaining the law order situation than the rest of the country.

To a question regarding economic performance of the incumbent government, 55% responded that they are not satisfied with the federal government’s performance.

According to the survey, 57% of the respondents believe that PTI’s months-long dharna adversely impacted the performance of the government in terms of economic development, while 27% disagreed.

Responding to a question regarding Local Government system, an overwhelming majority of 74% said they are in favour of it.

Meanwhile 66% of the respondents believe that security situation has improved in last three years, while 79% see a ‘foreign hand’ behind terror activities in Pakistan. Of these, 55% held India responsible for attacks, while 28% believe the US is behind all attacks.

Interestingly, responding to the question of who should take the lead in countering terrorism, 53% say both civil and military leadership should jointly lead the efforts.

On the foreign policy front, 30% believe that political parties influence policy while 25% say the US is most influential in this regard.

COMMENTS (15)

Pakistan | 9 years ago | Reply CM Punjab uses bribe blackmail and Police to get whatever he wants. No wonder he is popular than other CMs!

Abdullah | 9 years ago | Reply Can't understand why these surveys are coming up right now, general election are three year away lot can change in these three years . It's not like nawaz's popularity will help government or Imran's popularity will make him prime minister in 2015. Surveys should be conducted for poverty, hunger, education, unemployment and how government is dealing with these problems whether they are creating jobs by PPP or encouraging private sector to invest in rural areas by giving incentives. Whether government is successful in providing citizens security by improving police structure. Whether government is providing quality food to school kids to protect them from malnutrition. Whether government is providing housing to poor people who can't afford it otherwise. Whether government is protecting the right of ordinary person. Whether legislation done by government isn't against it's citizens. Surveys should be done on these issue with facts unlike these which are prescription based.

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Aisha | 9 years ago | Reply Pildat and Gallup are far more credible and they indicate PMLn ahead.

Saqib | 9 years ago | Reply PTI bought thus survey. SDPI has no Creditability.

curious2 | 9 years ago | Reply Almost 80 percent of Pakistanis believe a foreign hand is responsible for your terrorism? No wonder progress against terrorism has been so slow - you can't fix something if you think the boogeyman is at fault.

Faisal | 9 years ago | Reply @Pakistani: Perhaps you misunderstood. Media isn't the least corrupt. Only 1% believe that it is the MOST corrupt.

Tony | 9 years ago | Reply So PTI has bought itself a favorable survey to nurse its ego. This institute does not even come close to the creditability that pildat and gallup enjoy, both of which say that PMLn is far more popular. Plus what creditability does a survey that say media is the least corrupt have. I think media is more corrupt than PMLn.

Naeem Khan | 9 years ago | Reply "Additionally, 65% of the respondents believe that Punjab is better at maintaining the law order situation than the rest of the country." Sure, why not. The Sharif Brothers has made a deal with the religious fanatics to spare Punjab and in return they will not be touched. Oh yeah, the rest of the provinces could become killing fields and they don't care as long as Punjab is spared. Tell me it is not true.

Munir | 9 years ago | Reply I'm surprised that 14% of participants still want to vote for PPP. Some things don't change in life.

Adnan Siddiqi | 9 years ago | Reply To the fan boy brigade of the internet club, all of a sudden these surveys have now become kosher. Not until a few days ago, the PILDAT survey favoring Nawaz Sharif was out rightly rejected by the same geniuses. @Waseem Sarwar, Mind telling us where PTI stood in Balochistan's local body elections? Or the Cantt LB polls in Punjab? Or in all those by-election that took place this year?

Pakistani | 9 years ago | Reply "The media is viewed as the least corrupt segment of society with just one per cent of vote", Seriously? That must be a joke. We all know how u guys make money from here & there.

raider | 9 years ago | Reply @Ch. Allah Daad: you are too funny dear, you cited so many times very surveys conducted before election 2013, if these favored pmln its all ok otherwise election will tell realty, every sane Pakistani knows that local body election has never been barometer of popularity in class c democracy, incumbent govt keeps edge over opposition in these elections and peoples never vote for any change due to overwhelmed personal influence, caste system so many other factors, even at some places whole tehsil has been left open without any ticket then where will go party vote. still you are not going to get desired results

Shakil Ahmed Khan | 9 years ago | Reply These survey game isnt really reflection of reality on the ground! PMLN bought all survey companies! they look good only in news paper and consumption for international masters. It doesnt work for hungry people and saying to them no you are well fed by government. PTI is reality and PMLN is only trying to supress it by its tactics and government power and influence.

Waseem Sarwar | 9 years ago | Reply @Ch. Allah Daad: Didn't KP local bodies elections proved that? BTW PMLN is only alive via Patwaris and Police. :)

Ch. Allah Daad | 9 years ago | Reply PTI is alive only in surveys and in social media. Local body elections will tell the truth.

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