Looks as though everyone, Nawaz, Chaudhry Iftikhar, Kiani and even Gillani saw an increase in popularity, the only person that didnt was Zardari :hehe: p.s. only 20% or less support dictatorships.
ISLAMABAD (NNI)-An overwhelming majority of Pakistanis have placed Mian Nawaz Sharif on the top of the most popular persons during a survey conducted by the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI).
The timeframe in which the poll fieldwork was conducted coincided with the climax of events revolving around the Supreme Court’s decision against former Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Mian Nawaz Sharif and his brother Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shabaz Sharif. The impact of these events is reflected in the poll, resulting in a spike of support for Nawaz Sharif and his party.
Sharif has come out to be the most popular personality tested in the March 2009 poll. The number of people viewing him is 75 percent a jump from earlier 60 per cent placing him well ahead of the rest of the field.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry is the second in the list and has been chosen by 54 percent people as the most popular personality after Nawaz Sharif.
Among PPP figures, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani saw his popularity go up contrary to the erstwhile trend that registered PPP figures popularity decrease. As many as 33 percent view him as the most popular personality. Earlier it was a mere 19 percent.
There is an improvement in the image of the Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani with 30 percent rating him favorably, up four points since the last poll.
Over the course of the October 2008 and March 2009 polls, President Zardari saw little change in his image. Pakistanis are of an overall opinion that conditions in the country remain poor, and as president of the country Zardari is viewed as responsible. Respondents gave President Zardari an approval rating of 19 percent, unchanged since the last poll. Support for the Office of the President is directly tied to the conditions in the country and, since the June 2007 poll, the Office of the Presidents approval rating and the number saying that the country was headed in the right direction have tracked together. Nawaz Sharif emerged in the June 2008 poll as the most popular personality on the Pakistani political landscape. With the defeat of former President Pervez Musharraf and
Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid (PML-Q), the center-right coalesced around Nawaz Sharif, boosting his support.
In addition, with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led government being held responsible for the problems of the country, Sharif received an additional boost as he positioned himself in the opposition. These two factors broaden his support, and the recent flurry of events surrounding the Supreme Court’s decision pushed his numbers even higher, pulling people out of the undecided categories and into his camp.
When asked who they would prefer as president, 71 percent supported Nawaz Sharif while 16 percent selected President Zardari. The March 2009 poll also showed strong support for the Sharifs with regard to the court’s decision against them.
When told of the court’s ruling - that the Sharifs were ineligible to hold office - and the subsequent removal of Shabaz Sharif from his post as Chief Minister of Punjab, 20 percent supported the decision while 76 percent opposed; 62 percent said they support the public protests against these actions while 34 percent did not.
Besides, the overwhelming number of Pakistanis also showed their support for a stable and prosperous Pakistan. The survey also revealed that Pakistanis when asked to choose between a stable and prosperous Pakistan that was run by a military dictatorship or a democratic government, 77 percent selected the democratic option while only 20 percent opted for the dictatorship.
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