ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has emerged as the most popular leader with 57 percent approval ratings in a latest poll carried out by a Washington-based International Republican Institute.
According to the survey a combined 57 percent of respondents said Prime Minister Imran Khan is doing a “very good job” or a “god job” and a combined 56 percent approved of his government.
Quoting Johanna Kao, IRI Regional Director for Asia, the report published by the institute said that poor economic conditions are a significant source of anxiety for Pakistanis but despite country’s economic challenges , confidence in the new government and the prime minister is high.
“Pakistanis seem to be willing to give the government time to deliver on its campaign promises, which will require difficult economic reforms to revitalize the country’s struggling economy, said Johanna Kao.
According to the survey, a plurality of respondents (40 percents) said they are willing to give the government one year (26 percent) or two years (14 percent) to start delivering on their campaign promises.
The poll also indicates high level of confidence in the resulst of last year’s general election which the PTI won to form the government. Opposition parties, however, levelled allegations of election rigging.
The data for poll was collected between November 1 and 22 last year through in-home, in-person interviews.
Sharing the result of poll on his Twitter account, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said, “New Pakistan Poll: Strong Approval for PTI Government; | IRI ….. PM Imran Khan approval rating is 57%… PPP and PMLn are not even close to PTI in Public perception”.
India crisis
Last week, Christian Science Monitor included the Pakistani prime minister in its list of potential candidates for Nobel Peace Prize following a week of hostilities between Pakistan and India.
The former cricket hero, political commentators believe, emerged as a statesman who brought back two nuclear armed neighbors from the brink of war.
His decision to release captured Indian pilot, whose aircraft was shot down by Pakistan over Kashmir, was widely hailed as a decision which helped deescalate the tensions between the two countries.
While announcing his decision inside the parliament, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said Islamabad was releasing the pilot as a peace gesture to India.