NEW YORK, June 27: About 74 per cent of Pakistanis consider the US an enemy, up from 69pc last year and 64pc three years ago. And the US President Barack Obama is held in exceedingly low regard by Pakistanis, says the report of a PEW global survey released on Wednesday.
Over the past few years, Pakistanis have become less willing to work with the US on efforts to combat extremist groups. While 50pc still want the US to provide financial and humanitarian aid to areas where extremists operate, this is down from 72pc in 2009.
The comprehensive survey says majority of Pakistanis prefer Tehrik-i-Insaaf leader Imran Khan and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif favourably, while the ruling PPP leadership gets dismal ratings.
The report says Imran Khan has the support of 70pc people.
Similarly, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is also generally well-regarded – about six-in-ten offer a positive view of the leader of the country’s main opposition party.
Mr Sharif has consistently received high marks in recent years, although his ratings are down somewhat from the 79pc registered in 2009.
Meanwhile, the military continues to receive overwhelmingly positive marks from the Pakistani public – 77pc say the institution is having a good influence on the country. Roughly six-in-ten (58pc) also say this about the court system. But the army chief and the Chief Justice of Supreme Court were rated unfavourably by the Pakistanis interviewed for the survey.
Slightly more than half rate Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry favourably. Ratings for both the army chief and the chief justice have slipped slightly since 2010.
Former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, who has occasionally suggested he may return to Pakistani politics, receives relatively poor ratings.
Pakistanis continue to express considerable discontent with conditions in their own country. About nine-in-ten (87pc) are dissatisfied with the country’s direction and 89pc describe the national economic situation as bad.