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Pakistani Survey Shows Mixed Results
By Dalia Sheiha
ISLAMABAD, Oct 15 (IslamOnline) - According to the findings of a recent poll conducted by Gallup Pakistan and published Monday, the Pakistani public is undergoing a set of complex emotions, with 51% supporting official government policy on the current crisis, but with a large amount siding with Taliban against the U.S. in a separate question.
This survey coincides with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to Pakistan to tackle the issue of the current bombing of Afghanistan with the Pakistani leadership.
The Gallup survey revealed that 51% say they favor Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's policy on the current crisis, substantially higher than three weeks ago when the level of support was only 32%.
Furthermore, 37% think that he has handled his job on this issue in a "very good" or "good" way.
However, 83% of Pakistanis say that in the conflict between the U.S. and the Taliban, their sympathies lie with the Taliban. Most, 82%, believe Osama bin Laden is a "Mujahid" [fighter] and not a terrorist, while only 12% believe he was responsible for the September 11th attacks on U.S.
Only 16% favor that that the U.S. be allowed to use air bases in Pakistan, while 75% oppose that sort of assistance.
The findings emerged from a survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan on October 11-12 in the urban areas of all the four provinces of the country, namely Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and the North West Frontier Province.
The respondents were chosen statistically, representing a cross section of people belonging to various age, education, income and language backgrounds.
The findings of this survey are to be published under a special arrangement by the international weekly
Newsweek magazine in its forthcoming issue.
The survey revealed an apprehension on the part of a sizable number of Pakistanis that after Afghanistan, the U.S. may start a similar campaign in Kashmir. Nearly six out of ten Pakistanis believed the chances of this happening were either very high, 17%, or that there was "some chances", 42%. Only 41% ruled out such a possibility.
Pakistani public opinion is divided on whether the economic aid package promised by the U.S. would help solve the nation's economic problems. While 59% believe it would be useful, 38% think it would be harmful; 3% had no opinion.
But most people are pessimistic about the unfolding economic scenario and believe that the national economy will be worse off in the aftermath of the crisis, a view held by 54%. Only 22% believed it would improve, while 24% think it would remain the same.
According to the survey, 64% of Pakistanis believed that the attack on the U.S. on September 11th was a terrorist attack and not a
jihad [struggle].
It is also notable that one third, or 34% of the respondents, were of the view that bin Laden should present himself before a court of law for trial, while 57% opposed the idea.
The survey was conducted by Gallup Pakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International.
The weekly Gallup Poll is conducted under the direction of Ijaz Shafi Gilani, Chairman of Gallup Pakistan. Gilani holds a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is well known for his pioneering work in the field of marketing and social research in Pakistan.
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