For most Pakistanis, India is threat No. 1

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. When asked which is the biggest threat to their country, India, the Taliban, or al-Qaida , a majority of Pakistanis (57%) say India, the poll noted.
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% 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 Laden's hideout 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% of Pakistanis have a positive view of al-Qaida , down from 18% in 2010. Only 12% give Taliban a favourable rating with both Pakistan based Tehrik-i-Taliban and the Afghan Taliban getting similarly low levels of support.
There is somewhat more support for Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba group held responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Currently, 27% have a positive opinion of the terror outfit. Results of two surveys conducted in Pakistan by Pew's Global Attitudes Project also show that Pakistani views of traditional rival India have grown increasingly negative in recent years.