Pakistanis love Tsunami Khan!

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman, Imran Khan is the most popular leader in Pakistan with a 70 percent approval rating. According to a survey from PEW Research Center, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif is not far from Khan and has 62 percent votes in his favour. While the PML-N president may only be 8 points behind Khan, Sharif held an approval rating of 79 percent in 2009. With little change from last year, only 14 percent view President Asif Zardari favourably. The President has seen a significant drop over the years, as his approval rating stood at 64 percent in 2008.
Recently disqualified prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, proves to be somewhat better with 36 percent popularity. Around 89 percent describe the national economic situation as bad; 85 percent held this view in 2011. An overwhelming majority rate unemployment, crime, terrorism and corruption as very big problems. About 87 percent are dissatisfied with the country’s direction, compared to 92 percent last year. More than 50 percent rate Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as favourable. Ratings for both the army chief and the chief justice have slightly slipped since 2010. Former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf received relatively poor ratings with only 39 percent approving of the ex-president.
MILITARY MOST FAVOURABLE INSTITUTION: The military remains the most highly rated institution in Pakistan – 77% say it has a good influence on the country, nearly the same percentage (79%) as last year. However, the military’s ratings have slipped somewhat from a high of 86% in 2009. Large majorities also rate the influence of the media (68%) and religious leaders (66%) as good. In the past year, however, positive reviews of the media have declined eight percentage points. Roughly six-in-ten give the court system high marks. The courts’ ratings have been relatively constant over the years, except for a dip in positive reviews in 2011. As has been true in past surveys, few (24%) say the police are a good influence. Ratings of the national government are also very low – just 24% of Pakistanis believe it plays a positive role in the country. President Zardari receives even more negative reviews. Only 12% believe he has a good influence, while 84% say it is bad. Pakistanis who identify with Zardari’s party, PPP, are more likely to give him high marks, though they are still divided – 44% say his influence is good, 48% say it is bad. Attitudes about Zardari are particularly negative in Punjab (96% bad influence) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (95%).