Zardari’s ‘love for India’ not backed by most Pakistanis, Poll

October 5th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Fifty-one percent or one out of two Pakistanis think that President Asif Ali Zardari is a popular politician, while 47 percent oppose it, a new survey has revealed. Zardari's visit to the US was favoured by only 33 per cent of the respondents and opposed by 60 per cent, according to the Democracy International and Public Poll International survey.

October 1st, 2009 NEW YORK - Notwithstanding the huge monetary assistance that the United States is planning for Pakistan to help the troubled nation fight extremism and reduce anti-America sentiments, a majority of Pakistanis are still against the US being a partner in Islamabad's fight against terrorism. According to a survey conducted by the International Republican Institute, a Washington based group, about 80 percent of Pakistanis are against the US assistance in Pakistan's fight against terrorism.

September 18th, 2009 RAWALPINDI - After witnessing several decades of dictatorship, six out of ten Pakistanis feel that it is 'very important' to live in a democratic country. According to a study titled 'World Public Opinion on Political Tolerance', nearly 62 per cent of Pakistanis feel it's 'very important' to live in a democratic country, while 26 per cent said that it is 'somewhat important.' Only seven per cent feel that democracy is 'not very important', The Dawn reports.

September 16th, 2009 DALLAS - Newly crowned Miss Asia Chinmayi Ghatraza feels that Indians and Pakistanis are same and has said that she hardly finds any difference between the people of the two countries. "I love Pakistanis as we are the same people," Ghatraza said after winning the Miss Asia contest held in the city of Dallas, Texas.

August 21st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A bill reserving four seats in the lower house of parliament and one seat in each of the four provincial assemblies for overseas Pakistanis will be introduced in the National Assembly once the law ministry vets it. "The bill is under consideration of the ministry of law and the Election Commission, Online news agency quoted Overseas Pakistanis Minister Farooq Sattar as saying.

August 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Majority of Pakistanis are against the suicide attacks being carried out in the country by banned terror outfits in the name of religion, a poll has revealed. According to a poll conducted by Washington's Pure Research Centre, 87 percent Pakistanis did not support the suicide attacks.

August 14th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Most Pakistanis hate the Taliban as much as they consider United States as their enemy, a recent opinion poll has reveled. According to Pew Global Attitudes poll about 70 percent of Pakistanis are now against the Taliban's violent policies.

August 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Concerned over a new public opinion poll in Pakistan showing that 64 percent Pakistanis see America as the enemy, Defence Secretary Robert Gates says the US must maintain relationships with Pakistan for the long term to build trust. The poll saying only 9 percent of Pakistanis see the US as a partner is disturbing to defence leaders, but not surprising, he said during a Pentagon news conference Thursday.

July 6th, 2009 LONDON - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari says targeting the Taliban rather than India does not rankle his army because the two nuclear armed countries no longer pose threats to each others territories. "It rankles the small mind," he told the Daily Telegraph in an interview published Monday.

July 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Most Pakistanis believe that the Taliban fighters are a "critical threat" to their country and support the ongoing offensive in the Swat valley, according to a survey. An overwhelming 87 percent of Pakistanis think that the Taliban, who are fighting to overthrow the Afghan government, should not be allowed to have bases in Pakistan, showed the poll by the World Public Opinon (WPO), a US-based organisation working on public opinion on international issues.

July 1st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Most Pakistanis consider the Taliban and Al Qaeda militants as threat to the country, but still do not regard the US and President Barack Obama as friends, a poll showed Wednesday. The poll conducted by the Programme on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland last month found that those considering actions of militants as dangerous for Pakistan rose from 34 percent to 81 percent since late 2007.

June 3rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A majority of Pakistanis oppose the idea of India and Pakistan jointly producing films and shows, a Gallup survey has revealed. The support for such combined media productions has fallen drastically since 2007 due to escalating security tensions between both the countries.

May 12th, 2009 NEW YORK - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari may have 'impressed' the United States by announcing an all out war against the Taliban and other extremists in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), but he does not seem to have much support back home, as only 19 percent of Pakistanis approve of his move. According to an opinion poll released by the Washington based International Republican Institute, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has emerged stronger than Zardari, in the current volatile situation, as 75 percent of Pakistanis support him.

May 2nd, 2009 KARACHI - A majority of Pakistani civilians are of the view that the presence of allied forces led by the United States poses a bigger threat to them rather than the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. According to an annual assessment report of Pakistan issued by an US think tank, Centre for American Progress, more Pakistanis consider US presence in Asia as a threat to their country.

March 14th, 2009 NEW YORK - Most Pakistanis believe that the consequences of religious extremism are going to be terrible for their country and people, a new survey has revealed. According to a poll conducted by Pew Global survey (IRI) global research in 2008, 72 percent Pakisatnis said they were concerned about Islamic extremism in their country, while 54 per cent said they were very concerned about it, the Dawn reports.