ISLAMABAD - Even before completing a year in power, the PML-N government has outshined the previous Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) regime with majority of Pakistanis satisfied with its performance and policies, shows a recent Gallup Pakistan report.
Despite inheriting a fragile economy, deteriorating law and order, strain ties with neighbouring countries, rampant corruption, and uncontrollable inflation, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has managed to put the things in order through independent and prudent policies since coming into power in June last.
The Gallup’s Annual Public Pulse Report 2014 reveals that the PML-N government’s overall performance ratings showed a huge improvement over that of the PPP government by 59% points. It got a Green Card (favourable views exceed unfavourable views) in overall running of the government. As many as 55% give it a favourable rating. The Gallup’s study is based on findings from a nationally representative poll in the rural and urban areas of all the four provinces.
Sample size was 2,596 adult men and women, face to face interviews, selected through probability sampling method; error margin was kept at 3-5% at 95% confidence level. Field work was carried out from January 6 to 13, 2014.
For the six key indicators including economy, Pak-India relations, overall foreign policy, terrorism control, corruption
control and inflation control, the present government received positive comparative net performance ratings.
“Economy recorded a positive 48% comparative net performance, Pak India relations 22%, foreign policy 33%, terrorism control 31%, corruption control 36% and inflation control 20% net change,” says the report. The Net Performance Ratings for political leaders rated Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) at the top with 18% favourable. Imran Khan (PTI) was rated as minus 5% unfavourable, Asif Ali Zardari (PPP) at -28%, Altaf Hussain (MQM) -39%, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman (JUI-F) at -21% and Asfandyar Wali Khan (ANP) as -34%. Ratings of former JI chief Syed Munawar Hassan remained unchanged.
On issues of controlling inflation, terrorism and corruption, the present government showed an improvement over the the previous government by 20% , 31% and 36% respectively.
The Gallup Pakistan survey shows that the government performance still needed improvement but it was far better than that of the PPP government. However, despite some issues needing attention, the PML-N government got a Green Card (favourable views exceed unfavourable views) in overall running of the government, with 55% favourable and 40% unfavourable with a positive balance of 15% points.
A year ago only 27% had given favourable and 71% negative ratings to the then PPP government, with a negative balance of 44% points.
Another aspect covered by the Gallup Pakistan Survey is the performance of provincial chief ministers (CMs). Performance of CM Punjab was rated as Very Good by 21% people and Good by 28%.
CM Sindh obtained 6% “Very Good” ratings while CM KPK and CM Balochistan each got mere 4 % rating as Very Good.
CM Punjab topped the list by obtaining 26% overall net performance rating. But other chief ministers remained on the negative list with CM Sindh obtaining -9%, CM KPK -11% and CM Balochistan  -14%.
However, comparing to the previous government, CM Punjab improved his performance by 6% as compared to 2013 and CM Sindh improved by 18%. The new CMs in KPK and Balochistan improved performance ratings significantly from their predecessors as CM Balochistan got 20% performance rating and CM KPK was rated 16 % better as compared to previous CMs for the same period.
Regarding state institutions, the survey reveals that net performance ratings of armed forces improved up to 49%, Supreme Court 27% and Parliament 8%.
However, performance of other institutions including police, lower courts and political parties got negative ratings. Comparative net performance ratings for state institutions as compared to 2013, however, improved. Armed forces recorded a net change of 4%, police 8%, lower courts 2%, Parliament 30% and political parties 20%.
Comparative Net Performance ratings from January 2014 compared with January 2013, for civil society institutions were also recorded. NGOs recorded a positive 15% change, media 3%, educational institutions (schools and colleges) 3% and religious leaders recorded 7%.