Pakistanis are seeking an "escape from the old order and a move towards something different", said a daily, citing a survey that is certain to rattle established political parties.
An editorial in the News International on Friday said that as the country moves steadily towards the general election, "it is becoming abundantly clear that people want change".
"Indeed, it takes only the most basic common sense to realise this. After all, it is a logical assumption that every citizen would wish to free him or herself from the chains of corruption, misrule and mismanagement," it said.
The daily said that people are burdened by unrelenting inflation and they are now "seeking an escape from the old order and a move towards something different".
Referring to a survey conducted by the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI), the editorial said its results will "undoubtedly shock the major, established parties - accustomed as they are to holding power".
It shows that right now it is in fact the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) which is the nationwide front-runner, with 31 percent of the vote. The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) holds second place with 27%, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has a dismal share of only 16 percent.
"So, can we expect the tsunami, the wave of change, that (PTI leader) Imran Khan has so often spoken of?," the daily asked.
{{/usCountry}}"So, can we expect the tsunami, the wave of change, that (PTI leader) Imran Khan has so often spoken of?," the daily asked.
{{/usCountry}}Sounding a note of caution, it said that surveys are not always reliable, "...but we seem to have solid suggestions that people may indeed be getting ready to sweep away the old order".
"Their desire is hardly surprising, and could indeed prove to be very good news for a country stuck too long in a state of political stalemate," it said.