Let the hand chopping commence.

Islamabad (AFP) – More than half of young Pakistanis believe democracy has not been good for their country and nearly 40 percent are in favor of having Islamic sharia rule, according to a survey published Wednesday.

Pakistan goes to the polls in a historic general election on May 11, but the report by the British Council found deep pessimism about the political system among voters aged 18 to 29.

An overwhelming 96 percent of those surveyed in the “Next Generation Goes to the Ballot Box” report said the country was heading in the wrong direction and almost a third said they would prefer military rule to democracy.

Just 29 percent chose democracy as the best system for Pakistan, a constitutional Islamic republic, with 38 percent favoring sharia, saying it was the best for giving rights and freedom and promoting tolerance.

But the report noted that none of those surveyed had any direct experience of living under a non-democratic system of Islamic government and some had “elevated views” of what such a setup could achieve.

“As a Muslim, I believe in Khalifa rule. Democracy is like giving your country and faith to America,” one respondent, Muhammad Usama, was quoted as saying.

A study commissioned for the report estimated there are more than 25 million registered voters aged 18 to 29 in Pakistan, or slightly more than 30 percent of the electorate.