Author: Editorial
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: February 21, 2002
Plainly, the sample is small - 605
men and 634 women drawn from seven urban centres in Pakistan. Even then,
a survey conducted by Herald, the Karachi-based monthly, to gauge the minds
of Pakistanis is a revealing document. Most significantly, it tells us
that only 4 per cent considered Kashmir to be the "most pressing problem
facing Pakistan today". Clearly, Pervez Musharraf can't be pleased since
he has tried to convince the world that "Kashmir runs in our blood".
Unemployment (31 per cent), chances
of an Indo-Pak war (21 per cent), inflation (15 per cent) and poverty (9
per cent) are way ahead in people's priority. Like citizens anywhere, most
clearly, they want a better economic life which is difficult to obtain
in the absence of peace with an important neighbour. Interestingly, education
(2 per cent) and restoration of democracy (1 per cent) figure way down.
Much, of course, depends on the way questions are framed and the socio-economic
profile of those queried. These factors could also explain some apparently
anomalous answers.
For instance, while interest in
Kashmir may be low, as many as 64 per cent of those polled believe that
Pakistan's security interests "were served by supporting jehadi groups
in Kashmir". At the same time, 79 per cent approve of measures against
'extremism'. Interestingly, while 34 per cent held 'Indian army's excesses'
to be primarily responsible for encouraging the 'militant struggle in Kashmir',
48 per cent attributed it to Pakistani entities - the army (20 per cent),
religious parties (17 per cent) and political parties (11 per cent). However,
the overall message is that General Musharraf should remain in power "for
a few more years" (60 per cent), and that the Quran and Sunnah "should
be the source of all laws in Pakistan" (88 per cent). Thus, India cannot
ignore General Musharraf while he, in turn, should learn to place less
emphasis on Kashmir.
