Islamabad: According to a survey conducted by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, nearly two-thirds of Pakistanis (62%) said that they have trust in Islamic ulemas and religious scholars, with rural residents showing higher trust than their urban counterparts.

A nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across the country was asked the question, 'We want to ask about some institutions and how much trust or confidence you have in them

- Ulema/religious scholars?'. In response, 32% said 'very much trust', 30% said 'somewhat trust', 10% said 'very little trust', 19% said 'not trust at all', while 9% said that they didn't know. Question: We want to ask about some institutions and how much trust or confidence you have in them? - Ulema/religious scholars?

The study in Pakistan was conducted and released by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International. The recent survey was carried out among a sample of 788 men and women in urban and rural areas of all four provinces of the country, conducted from 7th January - 12th January 2025. The error margin is estimated to be approximately ± 2-3 percent at the 95% confidence level. The methodology used for data collection was telephonic surveys (CATI).

Survey findings indicate that a significant 65% of rural residents have greater trust in Islamic ulemas and religious scholars, which is 8% higher than their urban counterparts (57%).

Gilani Research Foundation is a not-for-profit public service project to provide social science research to students, academia, policymakers, and concerned citizens in Pakistan and across the globe.

Gilani Research Foundation is headed by Dr. Ijaz Shafi Gilani who pioneered the field of opinion polling in Pakistan and established Gallup Pakistan in 1980. Currently, Dr. Gilani, who holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has taught at leading universities in Pakistan and abroad, is Chairman of Gallup Pakistan.

Gallup Pakistan is not related to Gallup Inc. headquartered in Washington D.C. USA. We require that our surveys be credited fully as Gallup Pakistan (not Gallup or Gallup Poll). We disclaim any responsibility for surveys pertaining to Pakistani public opinion except those carried out by Gallup Pakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International Association. For details on Gallup International Association see website: www.gallup-international.com