Two-third Pakistanis want Benazir, Nawaz back and contest polls
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By ANI
Monday September 4, 11:50 AM
Lahore, Sept 4 (ANI): An opinion poll conducted in Pakistan has found that around two-thirds of people there want the exiled leaders, including the two ex-premiers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, back in the country and participate in the next year's general elections.
While 18 percent of the respondents favoured Benazir Bhutto as the potential candidate for prime minister, she was followed by Shaukat Aziz (15 per cent) and Nawaz Sharif (13 per cent).
Around 50 per cent of the Pakistanis were of the opinion that President Pervez Musharraf should keep only one office.
The survey was conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI), a research organisation of the US Republican Party, in collaboration with the Socio-Economic Development Consultants in the months of May and June this year.
IRI officials said that the results had been compiled in accordance with the international standards for market and social research methodologies. A total of 3046 adult Pakistanis, both men and women, from nearly 200 villages and 150 urban locations from all four provinces were randomly selected and interviewed.
The findings of the Pakistani Voters' Perceptions of the Political Landscape are being circulated among politicians and high-ranking officials reportedly with the help of the US embassy, reported the Dawn.
According to the survey findings, around 77 per cent of the people though that the country needed a very strong and popular leader. Also, nearly two-thirds of the respondents approved of the way Musharraf was handling his job.
Sixty per cent of the people wanted a parliamentary system instead of presidential system, while half of the respondents considered role of the Army in civilian government as necessary.
In the political party ratings, the ruling PML stood first (23 per cent) followed by the PPP (22 per cent), the PML-N (16 per cent), the MQM (12 per cent) and the MMA (seven per cent). (ANI)