Pakistanis see India as bigger threat than Taliban, al-Qaida: Poll
WASHINGTON: Most Pakistanis see India as a bigger threat than the Taliban and the al-Qaida and disapprove of the US military operation that killed Osama bin Laden, according to a new poll.
Although al-Qaida leader bin Laden has not been well-liked in recent years, a majority of Pakistanis describe his death as a bad thing. Only 14 percent say it is a good thing, according to a poll released on Tuesday by the Pew Research Centre.
Moreover, many Pakistanis believe the US raid on bin Ladens hideout, which was located about 35 miles from Islamabad, will have a negative impact on the already strained relations between the US and their country.
The poll also indicates that concerns among Pakistanis about an extremist takeover and support for using military force against extremist groups are slipping, but the groups themselves remain widely unpopular.
Just 12 percent of Pakistanis have a positive view of al-Qaida, down from 18 percent in 2010. Only 12 percent give the Taliban a favourable rating with both Pakistan based Tehrik-i-Taliban and the Afghan Taliban getting similarly low levels of support.