Author: PTI
Publication: The Times of India
Date: Jun 1, 2011
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Majority-of-Pakistanis-for-Islamisation-of-society-Poll/articleshow/8680030.cms
A majority of Pakistanis favour the government
taking steps for the "Islamisation" of society and almost a third
of them believe the process should be completed in one go, according to new
survey. A total of 67 per cent replied in the affirmative when they were asked
during the survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan whether the government should
take steps to "Islamise" the society.
Only 13 per cent said they believed there
is no need for "Islamisation" while 20 per cent gave no response.
Forty eight per cent of respondents said
steps to Islamise the society "should be taken one by one" while
31 per cent said the "steps should be taken at once". Twenty one
per cent gave no response to a question on the process of Islamisation.
The study was carried out by Gallup Pakistan,
the affiliate of Gallup International.
The survey was carried out among a sample
of 2,738 men and women in rural and urban areas of all four provinces of Pakistan
during January.
Rights activists and civil society groups
have expressed concern over the perceived growth of influence of Islamist
and radical groups in recent months.
The police guard who assassinated Punjab
governor Salmaan Taseer for opposing the controversial blasphemy law in January
was feted by Islamist groups as a hero and hundreds of lawyers offered to
represent him for free.
Former federal minister Sherry Rehman virtually
stopped making public appearances after being threatened by hardliners for
her call for changes in the blasphemy law.
