President’s popularity graph to rise further: Durrani
By Asim Hussain

ISLAMABAD—Minister of Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani Saturday expressed hope that the popularity graph of President Pervez Musharraf would go further up as he was sincerely working for people’s uplift. He was commenting on the findings of the International Republican Institute (IRI), the research wing of the US Republican Party, through a survey which says President Musharraf is the most popular leader in Pakistan.
“Public opinion is changing fast. The popularity graph of President Musharraf would touch its peak after one year,” he told newsman. Durrani said people know that the country is being run in a transparent way and the Election Commission has been made more powerful. The next elections will be held in the most transparent way ensuring that nobody can point finger on the results, the Minister added. Due to judicious policies of the government opposition Peoples Party had extended unconditional support to Women Protection Act, he said.
Popular “political personalities” are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 in the IRI survey. President General Pervez Musharraf emerges at the top with 3.47 points. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has 3.18 points, with Benazir Bhutto trailing with 3.13 points and Nawaz Sharif with 3.17 points. The survey shows 37 per cent of the respondents said that “PML-Q deserved to be re-elected”. PML-Q was found to be a shade more popular than the PPP, their respective ratings being 3.4 and 3.3. According to the survey the PML-Q is at the top in Punjab, followed by Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N.
To the question which party they would vote for “if the elections for National Assembly are held next week,” 27.4 per cent respondents named PML-Q. Twenty-two per cent of the respondents thought Shaukat Aziz would be the “best prime minister”. And 37 per cent of the people surveyed believed that the “current ruling coalition has done its job well enough to deserve re-election.”
The next elections will be held in the most transparent way ensuring that nobody can point finger on the results, the Minister added. Due to judicious policies of the government opposition Peoples Party had extended unconditional support to Women Protection Act, he said.