A viral post on social media has claimed that according to a recent Gallup Pakistan survey, 94% of Pakistanis want to leave the country.
This claim is completely false. Gallup Pakistan has not published such a survey.
Claim
On July 10, a user claimed on X (formerly known as Twitter) that according to Gallup Pakistan’s latest survey, about 94% of Pakistanis want to leave the country. The user mocked the government, adding, “Thanks to those who trampled on the constitution, they have made the entire country disgusted with itself in just 2 years.”
By the time this news article was published, the post had been shared 2,800 times, liked more than 7,600 times, and viewed 82,000 times.
On the same day, another X user made a similar claim, stating, “According to the latest Gallup survey, 94% of Pakistanis want to leave the country, whereas during Imran Khan’s time, 100% of overseas Pakistanis wanted to return. This is what happens when leadership is honest and trustworthy.”
This post has been viewed more than 73,000 times.
Such claims have also been shared by media outlets.
Reality
Bilal Ijaz Gilani, Executive Director of Gallup Pakistan, has labeled these online claims as “false.”
He clarified to Geo Fact Check over the phone, stating, “We did not conduct this survey.”
Bilal Ijaz Gilani further mentioned that while their organization did conduct a survey on similar questions last year, the results were very different from the claims circulating on social media.
A Gallup Pakistan survey published on December 19, 2023, showed that more than half of Pakistanis, particularly 56% of respondents who wanted to leave the country, cited low income in Pakistan as the primary reason for their desire to emigrate.
This 2023 survey can be viewed here.
Similarly, another survey published on December 18, 2023, indicated that 71% of Pakistanis believe that despite the deteriorating conditions in Pakistan, they would not move to another country. This survey can also be viewed here.
Therefore, Gallup Pakistan has not published any survey indicating that 94% of Pakistanis wish to leave the country. Gallup International has also not shared any results of such a survey.