Pakistan(National Times)- ISLAMABAD: A recent survey has highlighted significant public unease regarding the recent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. According to the findings, nearly 70% of respondents expressed apprehension about the protest and indicated an unwillingness to support the call under any circumstances. The survey, conducted by the Institute for Public Opinion Research (IPOR), gathered insights from over 1,000 residents of the twin cities. The data was collected between November 26 and 29, 2024, shedding light on the prevailing sentiment among the local populace. However, 24% of the residents fully favoured the PTI protest and said they would support it no matter how much it hurts, while 8% refrained from giving any opinion. The people were divided on the question “if the government actions or responses, including the lockdown, were correct”. A total of 48% said the government’s response was useless, 42% described it as absolutely correct, while 10% refrained from giving any opinion. About 82% said that their daily affairs were severely affected by the protest and lockdown, 17% said that it did not affect them, and 1% did not answer. On the question of businesses being affected in the twin cities, 74% said that both their trade and income suffered due to the lockdown and protests, while 24% said the opposite and 2% did not give any answer. “Are political protests and rallies the main cause of political instability in the country?” 66% people agreed but 26% said political protests and rallies were not the cause of political instability, while 8% did not give any answer to the question. About 53% of citizens blamed the government for the negative economic impact of the political crisis, while 18% blamed the PTI, 12% named others and 17% refrained from giving an opinion on this question. Over 73% of people surveyed in Islamabad and Rawalpindi fully supported peaceful protests by any political party. However, 24% said they were not in favour of even peaceful protests, and 0.3% refrained from giving any opinion on this question.