‘Greatest threat’: How India, Pakistan view each other; data lays bare deep animosity

A
su vey
has
evealed
that
a
majo ity
of
adults
i
Pakista
a d
I dia
view
the
othe
as
thei
si gle
g eatest
th eat.

Nea ly
eight
decades
afte
the
1947
Pa titio
of
B itish
I dia
gave
bi th
to
two
i depe de t
atio s,
deep-seated
histo ical
t auma,
a d
te ito ial
disputes
that
have
led
to
multiple
milita y
co f o tatio s
co ti ue
to
shape
the
mi dset
of
citize s
o
both
sides
of
the
bo de .As
the
two
cou t ies
celeb ate
thei
i depe de ce,
a
majo
su vey
by
the
Pew
Resea ch
Ce te
eveals
that
a
ove whelmi g
majo ity
of
adults
i
both
uclea -a med
ivals
view
the
othe
as
thei
si gle
g eatest
geopolitical
th eat.Co ducted
ac oss
South
Asia
betwee
Feb ua y
a d
May
2026,
the
fi di gs
highlight
a
pe siste t,
deep- ooted
mutual
hostility
that
shows
little
sig
of
thawi g.
These
se time ts
eflect
ot
me ely
political
disag eeme ts,
but
deeply
e t e ched
u favou able
opi io s
amo g
ge e al
populatio s,
exte di g
i to
pe ceptio s
of
global
supe powe s,
egio al
allies,
a d
the
lo g-te m
p ospects
fo
bilate al
peace.

‘G eatest
th eat’:
I dia
a d
Pakista
poi t
at
each
othe

The
data
pai ts
a
sta k
pictu e
of
two
eighbou s
f oze
i
mutual
dist ust.I
I dia,
54%
of
espo de ts
amed
Pakista
as
the
g eatest
th eat
to
thei
cou t y.Co ve sely,
43%
of
Pakista is
ide tified
I dia
as
thei
p ima y
secu ity
th eat.

The
data
pai ts
a
sta k
pictu e
of
two
eighbou s
f oze
i
mutual
dist ust.

Fo
I dia s,
Chi a
is
the
ext
most
cited
th eat
at
21%.
Fo
Pakista is,
Is ael
a d
the
US
each
egiste
at
24%
as
majo
th eats
—
though
still
fa
below
I dia.These
th eat
pe ceptio s
alig
closely
with
how
each
public
judges
the
othe ’s
commitme t
to
peace.

Most
I dia s
believe
thei
ow
gove me t
a d
people
a e
committed
to
good
bilate al
elatio s,
but
a
majo ity
say
Pakista ’s
gove me t
a d
people
a e
ot.Pakista is
mi o
this:
they
exp ess
co fide ce
i
thei
ow
side’s
commitme t
but
doubt
I dia’s.

Mutual
hostility
u s
deep

The
umbe s
o
bilate al
pe ceptio s
a e
sta k.Nea ly
i e
i
10
Pakista is
have
a
u favou able
view
of
I dia,
with
73%
desc ibi g
thei
opi io
as
‘ve y
u favou able’.
The
se time t
cuts
ac oss
demog aphic
g oups,
suggesti g
that
hostility
towa d
I dia
is
ot
co fi ed
to
a y
pa ticula
sectio
of
Pakista i
society.The
pictu e
i
I dia
is
simila ly
bleak.
As
ma y
as
78%
of
I dia s
have
a
u favou able
view
of
Pakista ,
i cludi g
65%
who
hold
a
ve y
u favou able
opi io .
The e
is,
howeve ,
a
otable
i te al
divide
i
I dia.
I dia
Muslims
a e
somewhat
mo e
favo able
towa d
Pakista
(21%)
tha
I dia
Hi dus
(6%),
a d
they
a e
also
less
likely
to
ame
Pakista
as
thei
top
th eat
(34%
vs
57%
amo g
Hi dus).

The
umbe s
o
bilate al
pe ceptio s
a e
sta k.

Pew’s
polli g
also
shows
that
this
is
ot
a
tempo a y
shift
i
se time t.I dia
views
of
Pakista
have
emai ed
ove whelmi gly
egative
fo
mo e
tha
a
decade,
with
the
sha e
exp essi g
a
favou able
opi io
eve
isi g
above
20%
si ce
2013.Histo ical
Pew
su veys
also
show
that
Pakista is
have
lo g
held
p edomi a tly
egative
views
of
I dia.
Pakista i
espo de ts
exp essi g
favou able
views
of
I dia
have
ge e ally
a ged
f om
si gle
digits
to
a ou d
o e-thi d.

Lack
of
t ust

The
su vey
fu the
suggests
that
hostility
is
ot
simply
about
how
I dia s
a d
Pakista is
pe ceive
each
othe .
It
also
exte ds
to
whethe
they
believe
the
othe
side
ge ui ely
wa ts
bette
elatio s.A
clea
patte
eme ges:
people
te d
to
believe
that
thei
ow
gove me t
a d
populatio
a e
committed
to
good
bilate al
elatio s,
while
doubti g
the
i te tio s
of
the
othe
side.

A
majo ity
of
I dia s
believe
both
the
I dia
gove me t
a d
I dia
people
a e
committed
to
mai tai i g
good
elatio s
with
Pakista .
But
a
majo ity
of
Pakista is
eject
that
assessme t,
sayi g
the
I dia
gove me t
a d
people
a e
ot
committed
to
good
elatio s.The
mi o
image
appea s
i
Pakista .

Be eath
the
geopolitical
diffe e ces
lies
a
mo e
fu dame tal
p oblem:
the
abse ce
of
t ust.

A
majo ity
of
Pakista is
say
thei
gove me t
a d
people
wa t
good
elatio s
with
I dia.Most
I dia s,
howeve ,
believe
Pakista ‘s
gove me t
a d
people
a e
ot
committed
to
imp ovi g
ties.
About
a
qua te
of
I dia
espo de ts
we e
u su e.This
mutual
lack
of
t ust
c eates
a
difficult
cycle:
each
side
sees
itself
as
willi g
to
imp ove
elatio s
while
viewi g
the
othe
as
u willi g
to
ecip ocate.I dia
Muslims
agai
sta d
apa t
to
some
deg ee.
A ou d
a
thi d
say
the
Pakista i
gove me t
a d
people
a e
committed
to
good
elatio s,
sig ifica tly
highe
tha
the
co espo di g
sha e
amo g
I dia
Hi dus.

How
Ba gladesh,
S i
La ka
view
the
ivals

The
Pew
fi di gs
become
eve
mo e
eveali g
whe
I dia
a d
Pakista
a e
placed
alo gside
Ba gladesh
a d
S i
La ka.Of
the
fou
South
Asia
cou t ies
su veyed,
S i
La ka
is
the
o ly
cou t y
that
eceives
mo e
positive
tha
egative
ati gs
f om
espo de ts
i
all
th ee
of
the
othe s.

The
I dia-Pakista
divide
exte ds
beyo d
bilate al
elatio s.

I dia,
mea while,
has
the
widest
a ge
of
pe ceptio s.S i
La ka s
a e
ove whelmi gly
positive
towa d
I dia,
with
79%
exp essi g
a
favou able
opi io .
I
Ba gladesh,
42%
view
I dia
favou ably.
I
Pakista ,
howeve ,
the
figu e
plu ges
to
just
7%.I dia
is
also
see
as
S i
La ka’s
most
impo ta t
ally
by
a
clea
majo ity:
63%
of
S i
La ka
espo de ts
ame
I dia.The
pictu e
is
ve y
diffe e t
i
Ba gladesh
a d
Pakista ,
whe e
I dia
is
most
ofte
ide tified
as
the
g eatest
th eat.Views
of
P ime
Mi iste
Na e d a
Modi
follow
a
b oadly
simila
patte .
Seve ty
pe ce t
of
S i
La ka s
exp ess
co fide ce
i
PM
Modi
to
do
the
ight
thi g
i
wo ld
affai s,
compa ed
with
42%
i
Ba gladesh
a d
4%
i
Pakista .The
su vey
also
fi ds
that
Pakista
is
ot
u ive sally
viewed
egatively
ac oss
South
Asia.Fifty-seve
pe ce t
of
S i
La ka s
a d
54%
of
Ba gladeshis
have
a
favou able
opi io
of
Pakista ,
compa ed
with
o ly
8%
of
I dia s.Ba gladesh
itself
eceives
b oadly
positive
views
i
Pakista
a d
S i
La ka:
66%
of
Pakista is
a d
56%
of
S i
La ka s
exp ess
favou able
opi io s
of
Ba gladesh.
O ly
about
a
qua te
of
I dia s
do
so.S i
La ka
eme ges
as
the
egio ‘s
elative
outlie .
A ou d
half
o
mo e
of
espo de ts
i
I dia,
Pakista
a d
Ba gladesh
view
the
isla d
atio
positively,
while
sig ifica tly
fewe
hold
egative
views.

Dive ge t
wo ldviews

The
I dia-Pakista
divide
exte ds
beyo d
bilate al
elatio s
to
the
way
each
cou t y
views
the
global
o de .Fo
I dia s,
Russia
emai s
a
pa ticula ly
impo ta t
a d
popula
pa t e .
Thi ty-six
pe ce t
ide tify
Russia
as
I dia’s
most
impo ta t
ally,
while
16%
ame
the
U ited
States.Russia’s
favou able
image
i
I dia
is
pa ticula ly
st iki g.
Fifty-eight
pe ce t
of
I dia s
have
a
favou able
opi io
of
Russia,
while
51%
exp ess
co fide ce
i
Russia
P eside t
Vladimi
Puti .Pakista is
a e
co side ably
less
positive:
39%
have
a
favou able
view
of
Russia
a d
o ly
32%
exp ess
co fide ce
i
Puti .I dia’s
elatio ship
with
the
U ited
States
is
also
eflected
i
public
opi io .
I dia s
a e
substa tially
mo e
favou able
towa d
the
US
tha
Pakista is
a e
a d
a e
mo e
likely
to
exp ess
co fide ce
i
US
P eside t
Do ald
T ump.The
pictu e
is
almost
completely
eve sed
whe
it
comes
to
Chi a.A
ove whelmi g
90%
of
Pakista is
have
a
favou able
view
of
Chi a,
while
83%
exp ess
co fide ce
i
Chi ese
P eside t
Xi
Ji pi g.
Th ee-qua te s
of
Pakista is
ide tify
Chi a
as
thei
cou t y’s
most
impo ta t
ally.Saudi
A abia
is
a
dista t
seco d,
amed
by
12%.I
I dia,
howeve ,
o ly
a ou d
a
qua te
of
espo de ts
view
Chi a
o
Xi
positively.
Eve
I dia
Muslims,
who
a e
mo e
favou able
towa d
Chi a
tha
I dia
Hi dus,
emai
egative
towa d
both
Chi a
a d
its
p eside t
o
bala ce.

Two
cou t ies,
two
ve y
diffe e t
wo lds

Nea ly
80
yea s
afte
Pa titio ,
the
su vey
suggests
that
the
I dia-Pakista
ival y
emai s
deeply
embedded
ot
o ly
i
gove me t
policy
a d
milita y
st ategy,
but
also
i
public
pe ceptio s.The
most
st iki g
fi di g
may
the efo e
ot
be
that
I dia s
a d
Pakista is
dislike
each
othe .
It
is
that
both
ove whelmi gly
believe
the
othe
side
sees
them
as
the
p oblem.That
mutual
co victio
—
ei fo ced
by
decades
of
co flict,
competi g
atio al
a atives
a d
geopolitical
ival y
—
emai s
o e
of
the
biggest
ba ie s
to
cha gi g
the
elatio ship
betwee
the
two
uclea -a med
eighbou s.Yet
be eath
these
geopolitical
diffe e ces
lies
a
mo e
fu dame tal
p oblem:
the
abse ce
of
t ust.Both
populatio s
believe
thei
ow
side
is
committed
to
bette
elatio s,
while
doubti g
the
i te tio s
of
the
othe .

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