Pakistanis turn against Taliban, but still resent US: poll

[Naveed Yaseen]

WASHINGTON: Public opinion in Pakistan has turned sharply against the Taliban and other extremists but Pakistanis still do not trust the US and President Barack Obama, a poll showed on Wednesday. The WorldPublicOpinion.org poll, conducted last month, found that most Pakistanis see the Taliban and Al Qaeda as a critical threat to the country. Those Pakistanis who view extremists and local Taliban as a critical threat to their country rose to 81 percent, up from 34 percent in a similar poll in late 2007. Respondents who described Al Qaeda’s activities as a critical threat to Pakistan rose 41 percentage points to 82 percent in the same period. In the poll, 70 percent voiced sympathy for their government over the Pakistani Taliban in the fight for Swat. Large majorities opposed all aspects of the US-led war in neighbouring Afghanistan. reuters

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