NEW YORK, Oct 20: A poll taken in the weeks before Pakistan People’s Party leader Benazir Bhutto’s return to Pakistan finds that a plurality of Pakistanis (50 per cent) approve of her return, while one in three are opposed.

Views are mixed about the possibility of Ms Bhutto becoming prime minister. Equal numbers (40 per cent) favour and oppose her becoming prime minister. Twenty per cent declined to respond.

However, the poll says Ms Bhutto appears to be a bit more popular than President Gen Pervez Musharraf. Asked who would be the best person to lead Pakistan, Ms Bhutto wins an anemic plurality with 27 per cent favouring her over 21 per cent for Gen Musharraf.

The WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 907 Pakistanis was conducted in urban areas of Pakistan.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has a similar level of support to Gen Musharraf. Twenty-one per cent endorse Sharif as the best person to lead Pakistan.

Asked about the possibility of Mr Sharif returning to Pakistan, attitudes are about the same as for Ms Bhutto’s return. Fifty-one per cent approve of his potential return, 35 per cent are opposed and the rest are undecided.

The poll was carried out for WorldPublicOpinion.org by ACNielsen Pakistan through face-to-face interviews in 19 Pakistani cities. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.3 per cent.