A new Ijaz Gilani Research Foundation (the local affiliate of Gallup International) poll shows that Pakistanis support the army’s efforts against Taliban. Further, poll data reveals that Pakistani’s overwhelmingly believe the war against the Taliban is Pakistan’s war to fight.
39% of Pakistanis surveyed said the conflict in Pakistan is America’s war, but 37% said it is Pakistan’s war and another 22% say the conflict is in the interest of both Pakistan and the US. Also 51% of Pakistanis support the Army’s offensive against the Taliban and only 13% oppose the offensive.
This recent polling data clearly confirms that the majority of Pakistanis believe the war is Pakistan’s war and support the decision of the democratically elected, civilian-led government to launch the military offensive against the extremists who threaten Pakistan’s sovereignty and stability.
This poll represents that the number of Pakistanis who consider the war to be in the interests of both US and Pakistan is growing. This is significant in light of the media coverage in Pakistan that favors conspiracy theories and anti-Americanism over factual reporting of the Army’s efforts. Clearly, the average Pakistani is too intelligent to be misled by the media and they realize that the two allies share a lot in common.
