67% Pakistanis want Musharraf out: Survey

ISLAMABAD: An overwhelming 67 percent of Pakistanis want President Pervez Musharraf to step down, a new survey says.

According to the Washington-based International Republican Institute (IRI), 70 percent said the Musharraf-backed erstwhile ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) did not deserve to be re-elected, while two-thirds 'expressed anger at the current state of affairs, desired change and were anti-Musharraf'.

IRI, a conservative-leaning civic group, randomly surveyed 3,520 people across Pakistan, and the poll carried an error margin of plus-minus 1.69 percentage points.

"The results also appeared to show widespread discontent with the US-backed proposal of a power-sharing arrangement between Musharraf and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, with 60 percent opposing the idea," Dawn reported on Friday.

Fifty-eight percent indicated they would prefer to see in power an opposition alliance composed of key anti-Musharraf figures, including former prime ministers Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

Only one-third were 'supportive of President Musharraf and were positive about the condition of the country', while 56 percent said the army should stay out of civilian government, the survey showed.

On the imposition of the November 3 emergency and the dismissal of the Supreme Court judges, the poll showed the people overwhelmingly opposed the measure.

"Musharraf's move polarised the country, and this polarisation carries through the other attitudes and opinions of the Pakistani electorate," Dawn said.

"This line of polarisation splits the electorate into two parts, at roughly the two-third and one-third divide. Throughout the poll, 25 to 33 percent remained supportive of President Musharraf and were positive about the condition of the country. Seventy-five to 66 percent expressed anger at the current state of affairs, desired change and were anti-Musharraf," the newspaper added.

Among other findings:

* Sixty-six percent said the emergency was meant to prevent the Supreme Court from overturning Musharraf's re-election as president for a second term.

* Seventy-one percent opposed the suspension of the Constitution.

* Seventy-seven percent opposed the detention of the sacked Supreme Court judges.

* Seventy-six percent opposed the closure of TV news channels.

* Seventy percent opposed the ban on political rallies.

* Seventy-six percent opposed the crackdown on lawyers and civil society, and the house arrest of opposition leaders.