ISLAMABAD: More than half of Pakistanis believe that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government performed “worse than expected” in the year 2021, a survey by Paris-based research and consultation firm, Ipsos, suggested earlier this week.
Ipsos interviewed 1,126 Pakistanis between December 18 and December 24 about the performance of various government departments and officials.
According to the survey, 55 percent Pakistanis said the government’s performance was worse than expected, 32 percent opined it was almost the same as expected and 13 percent found it to be better than expected.
“Even half of those who voted for PTI in 2018 are dissatisfied with their government performance in 2021,” the survey report read.
The interviewees found the performance of judiciary, opposition, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), which oversees the country’s pandemic response, and the education ministry to be below par.
Around 46 percent and 45 percent respondents, respectively, said they found the performance of Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood and PM’s aide on health Dr. Faisal Sultan to be “worse than expected” too.
Around half of the respondents were satisfied with the performance of the Pakistan cricket team and skipper Babar Azam, and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja.
“More than half of Pakistanis are dissatisfied with provincial government’s performance,” the report added.
Over half of Pakistanis say government’s 2021 performance ‘worse than expected’ — survey
https://arab.news/nad66
Over half of Pakistanis say government’s 2021 performance ‘worse than expected’ — survey
- Paris-based research firm Ipsos interviewed 1,126 people for the survey
- Even half of those who voted for PTI in 2018 are dissatisfied with government
Pakistan says responding to Afghan ‘offensive operations’ after border fire as tensions escalate
- Afghan Taliban spokesperson says “large-scale offensive operations” launched against Pakistani military bases
- Pakistan says Afghan forces opened “unprovoked” fire across multiple sectors along shared border
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said on Thursday they had launched “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani military bases and installations, prompting Pakistan to say its forces were responding to what it described as unprovoked fire along the shared border.
The escalation follows Islamabad’s weekend airstrikes targeting what it said were Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh militant camps inside Afghanistan in response to a wave of recent bombings and attacks in Pakistan. Islamabad said the strikes killed over 100 militants, while Kabul said dozens of civilians were killed and condemned the attacks as a violation of its sovereignty.
In a post on social media platform X, Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghanistan had launched “large-scale offensive operations” in response to repeated violations by the Pakistani military.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said Afghan forces had initiated hostilities along multiple points of the frontier.
“Afghan Taliban regime unprovoked action along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border given an immediate, and effective response,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement said Pakistani forces were targeting Taliban positions in the Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors, claiming heavy Afghan casualties and the destruction of multiple posts and equipment. It added that Pakistan would take all necessary measures to safeguard its territorial integrity and the security of its citizens.
Separately, security officials said Pakistani forces had carried out counterattacks in several border sectors.
“Pakistan’s security forces are giving a befitting reply to the unprovoked Afghan aggression with full force,” a security official said, declining to be named.
“The Pakistani security forces’ counter-attack destroyed Taliban’s hideouts and the Khawarij fled,” they added, referring to TTP militants.
The claims from both sides could not be independently verified.
Cross-border violence has intensified in recent weeks, with Pakistan blaming a surge in suicide bombings and militant attacks on militants it says are based in Afghanistan. Kabul denies providing safe havens to anti-Pakistan militant groups.
The clashes mark the third major escalation between the neighbors in less than a year. Similar Pakistani strikes last year triggered weeklong clashes before Qatar, Türkiye and other regional actors mediated a ceasefire in October.
The 2,600-kilometer (1,600-mile) frontier, a key trade and transit corridor linking Pakistan to landlocked Afghanistan and onward to Central Asia, has faced repeated closures amid tensions, disrupting commerce and humanitarian movement. Trade between the two nations has remained closed since October 2025.
