Pakistanis Still Rate Military Tops Among National Institutions

[fatman17]

July 29, 2011

Pakistanis Still Rate Military Tops Among National Institutions


Residents have less confidence in civilian government and institutions
by Nicole Naurath and Julie Ray

ABU DHABI -- Gallup surveys in Pakistan show the image of the country's military took a slight bruising after reports emerged that it had no prior knowledge of the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden. In a May 9-12 Gallup poll, 78% of Pakistanis expressed confidence in their military, down from 86% in a survey conducted mostly in the weeks leading up to the raid.

The full trends on these findings, released Friday in an Abu Dhabi Gallup Center brief on Pakistan, show that although Pakistan emerged from nearly a decade of military control in 2008, its armed forces still receive more support from Pakistanis than other key institutions. It's important to note that in many countries -- including the U.S. -- the military usually elicits high confidence. In Pakistan's case, this high confidence likely reflects the military's strong, ongoing presence in civil society and reinforces how relatively weak the civilian government and institutions still are.

Financial institutions (58%) and the judicial system (56%) also earned the trust of the majority of Pakistanis in the earlier 2011 survey. Gallup did not ask about these institutions and others in May 9-12 poll, instead only querying Pakistanis about their confidence in the military and national government.

Pakistanis' confidence in the national government, on the other hand, remained low but unscathed in the early fallout after bin Laden's death. In the May 9-12 survey, 31% of Pakistanis expressed confidence in the national government, essentially no different from the 28% measured earlier. Other civilian institutions such as the local police (32%) and the honesty of Pakistan's elections (19%) also elicited low trust.

Implications

Pakistanis' relatively weak confidence in their civilian government and institutions demonstrates the civilian leadership's inability so far to step out from the military's shadow. This is at least partly because the military has taken the lead in recent crises -- including rescuing citizens from devastating floods last year -- while the public saw the government's efforts as inadequate.

Poor confidence in local and national leadership likely do not make dealing with Pakistan's many challenges -- poverty, illiteracy, the spread of domestic terrorism, and a level of gender inequality that has limited women's contributions -- any easier.

Read more about Pakistan's challenges in an in-depth report from the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center.

The briefing looks at the long-term trends on these issues and delves into how Pakistanis' attitudes differ among men and women, the educated and uneducated, and urban and rural residents.

For complete data sets or custom research from the more than 150 countries Gallup continually surveys, please contact

SocialandEconomicAnalysis@gallup.com or call 202.715.3030.

About the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center

Building on Gallup's seminal work in the field of Muslim studies, the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center offers unmatched research on the attitudes and aspirations of Muslims around the world. Learn more.

Survey Methods

Results for the two surveys are based on face-to-face interviews conducted between April 25 and May 14, 2011, and May 9-12, 2011, with approximately 1,000 adults in each survey, aged 15 and older, covering urban and rural areas across all four provinces in Pakistan. Federally administered areas and Azad Jammu Kashmir were excluded from the May 9-12 study. For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.

For more complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details.

 

[Avatar]

Sad but true..

 

[TaimiKhan]

Sad but true..

Why sad ?? Isn't it a good thing that a nation hold in high esteem its armed forces ?? Don't the Indians do that for the Army does for the nation in times of peace and war ??

Yeah indulging in politics is something else, which shouldn't be done, but then again even with so much military rule in the history of Pakistan and the blunders the have committed, they are still popular among the nation, why ?? That is the real question to be asked and answered.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Why sad ?? Isn't it a good thing that a nation hold in high esteem its armed forces ?? Don't the Indians do that for the Army does for the nation in times of peace and war ??

Yeah indulging in politics is something else, which shouldn't be done, but then again even with so much military rule in the history of Pakistan and the blunders the have committed, they are still popular among the nation, why ?? That is the real question to be asked and answered.

I don't think it is sad.

However, it is a fact that it is a Hobson's Choice for Pakistan.

That is why it is popular.

 

[Norboo]

That's the TINA factor (There Is NO Alternative)! Pakistan has a lame duck government with no statesmen on the horizon.

 

[Xestan]

That's the TINA factor (There Is NO Alternative)! Pakistan has a lame duck government with no statesmen on the horizon.

Alternative? In what sense? If you're talking about a different political set-up, getting rid of the current parties then for that, majority of Pakistanis are supporting Imran Khan and his party as a best alternative, you've failed to understand this survey, it's about in which institution people have more confidence, it's not about Ruling the country.

 

[muse]

Confidence to do what??

consider:

In a May 9-12 Gallup poll, 78% of Pakistanis expressed confidence in their military, down from 86% in a survey conducted mostly in the weeks leading up to the raid.

Again, confidence to do what? Would say that Pakistanis would express confidence in the army's ability to keeps the borders free of infiltration? Ensuring no foreign power can land troops in a Pakistani city??

So, I'm not suggesting that this is a rubbish piece which is designed to obscure - but perhaps we can be a little more clear about what EXACTLY, the article is saying and what it is not

 

[VCheng]

Confidence to do what??

consider:



Again, confidence to do what? Would say that Pakistanis would express confidence in the army's ability to keeps the borders free of infiltration? Ensuring no foreign power can land troops in a Pakistani city??

So, I'm not suggesting that this is a rubbish piece which is designed to obscure - but perhaps we can be a little more clear about what EXACTLY, the article is saying and what it is not

The devil is always in the details of such surveys. I still find the choice of wording of the referendum that led to Zia ul Haque's "election" very interesting for example.

Having said that, I think the important point here, is that the military is still rated by the public-at-large, above any other institution in terms of "reputation", as nebulous as that term is.

 

[muse]

I take your point and offer that the survey was before the performance in abbotabad

 

[VCheng]

I take your point and offer that the survey was before the performance in abbotabad

I think there were two surveys:

In a May 9-12 Gallup poll, 78% of Pakistanis expressed confidence in their military, down from 86% in a survey conducted mostly in the weeks leading up to the raid.

I read that as 86 percent in the pre-OBL raid survey, which fell to 78% in the survey done May 9 to 12.

 

[WAQAS119]

This article is not more than a media stunt as this one below:
http://www.defence.pk/forums/general-defence/113355-my-boss-allah-not-america-pasha-replied-cia-head.html

Bholi qaum...............!

 

[Avatar]

Why sad ?? Isn't it a good thing that a nation hold in high esteem its armed forces ?? Don't the Indians do that for the Army does for the nation in times of peace and war ??

Yeah indulging in politics is something else, which shouldn't be done, but then again even with so much military rule in the history of Pakistan and the blunders the have committed, they are still popular among the nation, why ?? That is the real question to be asked and answered.

I know that the two of us may never share the exact same perspective when it comes to Pakistan's military history.

There have been times when the military has been brave and valiant in it's duties, but sadly the Pakistani military is responsible for a lot more than their basic duties. As we know, the military has been a major drain for Pakistan's economy and it may not be wrong to blame both ex and serving generals for the economic position that Pakistan is today. After all, military people are also human and greed can corrupt easily.

I know a lot of people believe that Pakistan would not have existed or India would have invaded Pakistan a couple of times if it had not been for Pakistan's great military. Coming closer to reality I feel that this has been the lie on which Pakistani generals have made their exorbitant living and careers ranging much beyond their call of duty.

If Pakistanis still hold military in high regard, it only means that the lie is still being sold as the military continues to enjoy large amounts of US aid, allows US to kill Pakistani civilians and then disses them for public applause. The only reason they cannot take any action is because they are addicted to the aid. If Pakistan's economy was more self reliant then maybe there might be the possibility of another coup. That's why I dont really appreciate Pakistanis still holding Army in high regard despite knowing more facts than before.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

They rate Military as highest group because Civilian , law and order authority is weak in Pakistan and its uneducated and ill equipped

Civilians don't get chance to excel in Leadership roles, if they are hard working they are normally facing , corrupt (side folks) who put hurdles in their attemps to do anything positive

Military , leaders when they are in power they simply beat up the corrupt people if they try to influence them....

A normal civilian has no police and Implementation of law due to WEAK police force

If Pakistani Police force is revamped by 5-10 billion investment , 80,000-100,000 new generation police officers
and Civilian Special Service creation then civilians can get justice

ISI running under Military command will only ensure , that Military gets all the special news and they stay in power ...

While the Military is important institute and has loyal Pakistanis

But we need 5-10 billion invested in Police and get 80,000-100,000 police officers and retire all existing policeforce

 

[TaimiKhan]

I know that the two of us may never share the exact same perspective when it comes to Pakistan's military history.

Common sense dictates that, you are an Indian and i am a Pakistani. You look from your own perspective as an India, while my perspective is as a Pakistani. Fully agree with you.

There have been times when the military has been brave and valiant in it's duties, but sadly the Pakistani military is responsible for a lot more than their basic duties. As we know, the military has been a major drain for Pakistan's economy and it may not be wrong to blame both ex and serving generals for the economic position that Pakistan is today. After all, military people are also human and greed can corrupt easily.

See this is the problem, the ill informed lot from the Indian side. Military used to be a major drain in the past, not anymore. Its budget to GDP ratio is at its lowest, the part of the total budget it takes is also now not in the top 2 or i believe not in the top 3 sectors. So, i have no idea how come it becomes a drain in the present. The major economic growth Pakistan did was during the military rule (do Google that and learn abt it), whenever politicians came into power, they took the economic growth backwards, (again Google it and see how much development we did in civilian govt). Yea, Generals maybe having corrupt ones among them and some may have brought harm, but why don't you Indians and some Pakistanis compare or see what the civilians did ?? They earned many times more through corruption then generals. So, why not we or you criticize the civilians the same way as done in case of the army. Army rule has given development to the country, it provides job to the people that is why the nation still favors it as atleast they deliver to some extend while the civilians instead of delivering take away from you.

Military may have done blunders, but they have given back to Pakistan a lot also.

I know a lot of people believe that Pakistan would not have existed or India would have invaded Pakistan a couple of times if it had not been for Pakistan's great military. Coming closer to reality I feel that this has been the lie on which Pakistani generals have made their exorbitant living and careers ranging much beyond their call of duty.

There has been no lie, with the current Indian ORBAT its very clear what are the Indian intentions. Exaggeration is something else, but there is no lie. Had there been no military, Indians would have been having a field day. And generals have not made comfortable lives on just one exaggerated truth. And yeah, not all Generals make exorbitant livings, just some do.

If Pakistanis still hold military in high regard, it only means that the lie is still being sold as the military continues to enjoy large amounts of US aid, allows US to kill Pakistani civilians and then disses them for public applause. The only reason they cannot take any action is because they are addicted to the aid. If Pakistan's economy was more self reliant then maybe there might be the possibility of another coup. That's why I dont really appreciate Pakistanis still holding Army in high regard despite knowing more facts than before.

I believe i have fully explained the reason why the nation keeps the military in high regard, its not due to India, India has nothing to do with that. Ordinary Pakistanis are not concerned with what happens with India, they are more concerned about their lively hood and living conditions, which military rule made better,while civilian rule made it worse. Musharaf's rule can be clearly compared with this current govt,who had no finance minister for the first 2years of its govt and when they got one, he left in a few months time due to the obvious reason.

And there ever loving Indian nonsense of aid, for the God knows how many times, i have asked the Indian friends from across the border, what the hell have we gotten in aid that has made us so much depended ?? Can you kindly clarify it ?? 1B $$ a year aid, in which millions go back to the US, makes us depended ???

Problem is for Indians the other factors to understand in such complex situation seems an impossible job. It seems either Indian brains are not capable enough OR due to the hate for Pakistan/Pakistanis that specific part of the brain is not able to function properly to think and reason logically these other factors, or may be even knowing all these factors, Indians friends don't wanna discuss them since the BS spoken above is just they want, bashing time to satisfy their egos or channel our their anger.