Indians trust their military, Pakistani trust their religious leaders

Indians trust military and police, Pakistanis don’t: BBC survey

LONDON: Most Indians trust the military and police more than their politicians while the Pakistanis trusted religious leaders, according to the findings of the Gallup International Voice of the People Survey 2005 commissioned by the BBC World Service

The poll surveyed more than 50,000 people in 68 countries, representing the views of 1.3 billion citizens. It also found that most Pakistanis believed their religion was more important than nationality. Little control: On the question of which people were most trusted, 61 percent of the surveyed Indians cited the military and the police, 58 percent said journalists, while only one percent trusted politicians.

Of the surveyed Pakistanis, 55 percent trusted religious leaders, 42 percent journalists, 31 percent politicians and businessmen and 29 percent the military and police. Globally, only 13 percent trusted politicians.

Two-thirds of Indians did not feel their elections were free and fair. About 77 percent of surveyed Indians did not believe their country was governed by the will of the people, not far from the global average.

On the question of who had the most influence on decisions taken in personal lives, 92 percent of surveyed Indians said family and partner, compared to only 45 percent of Pakistanis. A total of 18 percent Pakistanis answered religious leader, while none of the Indians surveyed did.

A total of 68 percent Indians and 53 percent Pakistanis agreed that there was very little they could do to change their lives. The global average was 34 percent. The two countries were almost identical in who they would choose to give more power to – around 55 percent chose the military and intellectuals and 50 percent journalists.

A total of 1,063 Indians and 843 Pakistanis were surveyed in June.