Nawaz most popular Pakistani leader: US press
NEW YORK - Major U.S. newspapers on Wednesday carried
dispatches about
the Supreme Court decision to lift the electoral ban on PML-N Quaid
Nawaz Sharif, and were unanimous in their assessment that he is the
most popular leader in Pakistan.
"The court decision will bolster the standing of Mr. Sharif, who in
recent months has emerged as the most popular politician in the
country," the prestigious New York Times said. "President Asif Ali
Zardari has seen his popularity ratings plummet, largely because of
concerns about Pakistan’s faltering economy and a general sense that
the country is headed in the wrong direction," wrote the Times'
correspondent, Salman Masood, in a dispatch from Islamabad.
Correspondent Griff Witte of The Washington Post said, "The ruling
is likely to ease political tensions in the short term but could
ultimately pose a challenge for President Asif Ali Zardari, who is
Sharif's main rival and whose popularity has plummeted. Although
elections are not due until 2013, Sharif is now in position to
reclaim the office he held twice in the 1990s"
Correspondents Matthew Rosenberg and Zahid Hussain of The Wall
Street Journal said in a joint dispatch from Islamabad that the
court decision removed an immediate political flashpoint and
potential source of instability.
"But because Mr. Sharif is arguably Pakistan 's most popular
politician, the decision raised the prospect of sweeping political
change, at a time when the government is fighting Taliban militants
and struggling to shore up a shaky economy. A recent poll put Mr.
Sharif's approval rating at 75%, while President Asif Ali Zardari's
rating stood at 19%," the WSJ dispatch said.
All papers made it a point to mention the "bold" Long March led by
Nawaz Sharif that led to restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar
Mohammad Chaudhry, who was ousted by former president Pervez
Musharraf.
The Nation: May 28, 2009 |
