Opinion survey finds 'perceptible drop' in Pak PM Imran's popularity

New Delhi: An opinion poll shows that popularity of Prime Minister Imran Khan has gone several notches down—to what one report says a "perceptible drop"

Across the political divide, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has his ratings soaring in Punjab province at 58 per cent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 46 per cent and Sindh 51 per cent, reports say.

According to Gallup Pakistan's survey, Khan ranked second in popularity in KP with 44 per cent and third with 33 per cent popularity in Sindh and Punjab.

Five thousand people answered to the survey across the nation from December 22, 2021 to January 31, 2022 rating the popularity of leaders.

They include PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Khan, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

In KP, Shehbaz Sharif's popularity stood at 43 per cent, while Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari were tied at 24 per cent, IANS reported.

There was a notable fall in the level of satisfaction with Khan in KP which has dropped from 67 per cent in February 2020 to 44 per cent in the current survey, while that of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari dropped from 26 per cent to 24 per cent.

But approval rating of Nawaz Sharif increased from 33 per cent to 46 per cent and that of Shehbaz Sharif rose from 31 per cent to 43 per cent in KP.

58 per cent respondents in the case of Punjab approved Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif. Only 33 per cent approved Prime Minister Khan, 24 per cent Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and 21 per cent Asif Ali Zardari.

The popularity of the former Prime Minister, according to Gallup Pakistan, for the first time rose after December 2018 and Nawaz Sharif managed similar ratings as that of Shehbaz Sharif.

But Khan's popularity, which rose to 51 per cent in 2018, has now dropped to 33 per cent. While that of PPP Chairman increased to 24 per cent from 18 per cent then.