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Musharraf should resign, say majority of Pakistanis
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June 21, 2008 15:00 IST

A majority of Pakistanis favour their government not fighting Al Qaeda [Images] and Taliban and view United States as the greatest threat to their personal safety, according to a survey by a US agency.

Almost three-quarter of Pakistanis who participated in the poll opined that embattled President Pervez Musharraf [Images] should resign and if he doesn't, he should be removed by the Parliament.

The survey, conducted across Pakistan, also said that the Al Qaeda has gained public support, while a maximum number of Pakistanis viewed the United States as the greatest threat to their personal safety.

"Fourty-four per cent of Pakistanis think the US poses the greatest threat to their safety while the so-called arch rival India comes at second place with only 14 per cent finding it a threat," the poll conducted by US-based 'Terror Free Tomorrow: The Center for Public Opinion and the New America Foundation' said.

The poll has revealed that half of Pakistanis want their government to negotiate and not fight with Al Qaeda, while less than one third of them favoured military action against the militant group.

Similarly, 58 per cent of the people surveyed favoured holding negotiations with the Taliban and 19 per cent suggested taking military action against it.

With parliamentary by-elections in the country scheduled for next week, the poll has found that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is emerging as the most popular leader in the country and his party, the PML-N, the clear winner in any national contest.

"Politically, Nawaz Sharif has emerged as by far the most popular political leader in Pakistan ,with a whopping 86 per cent of those polled having a favourable impression of him," the survey said.

Interestingly, a mere six per cent view Al Qaeda as a threat, while only eight per cent said they saw Pakistani Taliban as a threat.

Strongly disapproving increasing cases of the suicide attacks, majority of the people condemned such activities.

However, 14 per cent of them think these attacks can often or sometimes be justified.



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