Click to play videoNew Delhi: As Pakistan celebrates 60 years of independence, the nation is in turmoil and President Pervez Musharraf admits that he is losing popularity.
Outwardly, the trappings remain but Pakistan is a nation whose confidence has been shaken.
Sixty years after Mohammad Ali Jinnah fathered the country, a majority of Pakistanis feel let down by their current leadership.
The national mood has been captured in the first ever opinion poll conducted by AC Nielsen for CNN-IBN The Indian Express and Dawn News Channel.
The opinion poll says:
- Over 55 per cent of the respondents wanted President Musharraf to step down as President.
- Sixty-six per cent felt corruption had increased under his watch.
- And 64 per cent felt he had failed to crack down on sectarian conflicts and Islamic militancy.
Musharraf himself seems to agree with the results of the opinion poll. In a question-and-answer session with handpicked guests on state run PTV, he admitted he had lost support amongst his people.
"Yes, my popularity has been reduced. Yes, I agree with you,” he candidly admitted during a question and answer session with selected audience.
"The fault lies here who has taken the advise and accepted it. I am not the leader to turn around the person saying you stupid man you did all this wrong. I have been stupid to accept that advise,” he added.
Pakistan today is now considered a politically unstable, nuclear power fighting a tough battle against Jihadi extremism.
The survey also suggested ordinary Pakistanis were getting fed up of decades of army rule, yet had little faith in their mainstream politicians.
And they're turning increasingly insecure and cynical.
"Our country has not progressed the way it should have. It has not gone the way Quaid-e-Azam (the Great Leader) had visualised it,” says a stall owner, Ghulam Farid.
Musharraf promises to hold elections that will return stability to Pakistan. And his people desperately want to believe him.
Giving them a glimmer of hope are signs that the judiciary and civil society are finally challenging both Musharraf and his military rule.
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