Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Pakistanis support crackdown on terrorists



Pakistanis Support Tougher Stance on Terrorism
Nearly half of citizens (49%) say their government isn’t doing enough
by Julie Ray

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A recent Gallup Poll of Pakistanis suggests their government has domestic support for a crackdown on Pakistan-based extremists: 60% of Pakistanis interviewed in October said their government should take a tougher approach to rid their country of terrorist activities.

Since the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, last month, Pakistan has been under intense international pressure to take serious action against militants inside its borders. At the same time, attacks have continued on Pakistan's own soil, such as the Dec. 5 bombing in Peshawar that killed 29 and wounded 100. Pakistanis have endured hundreds of terrorism-related incidents this year; one of the worst of which -- a suicide attack on the Marriott Hotel in the capital Islamabad -- took place shortly before the October Gallup Poll.

Gallup's survey shows substantial support across Pakistan for a tougher stance against terrorist activities, most visibly in the province of Punjab. In North West Frontier (NWFP) and Baluchistan provinces, where al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and other militants have been increasingly active, nearly half of residents think the government should take a tougher stance on ridding Pakistan of terrorist activities.

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