September 08, 2021
Almost half of Pakistanis think the Taliban government in Afghanistan will lead to a rise in terrorism, deteriorate the law and order situation in Pakistan and lead to a rise in the smuggling of drugs and arms, revealed the findings of an Ipsos survey.
The marketing company published the findings of a survey intended to capture the perceptions of Pakistanis about a government in Afghanistan spearheaded by the Taliban, and what impact it would have in the country.
The survey was conducted on a sample size of 1,020 people from August 26 to September 2, and was published on September 7.
Sixty-eight percent of those who partook in the survey were men, while only 32% of the respondents were women.
Age:
18-25: 15% of the sample size
26-30: 19% of the sample size
31-40: 40% of the sample size
41-50: 18% of the sample size
51-65: 7% of the sample size
Geographically speaking, the majority of the respondents of the survey hailed from urban areas, 77% to be exact, while 23% hailed from rural areas.
When asked what impact the Afghan Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan will have on Pakistan, 47% of the people thought it would lead to an increase in terrorism in Pakistan and increased threats to the law and order situation of the country.
Some of the respondents showed optimism as well, with 21% saying it would lead to increased trade between both countries. Another 19% thought that an increased number of Afghan refugees would become a problem for Pakistan, while 16% thought the trafficking of drugs would increase into Pakistan from the neighbouring country.
Fifteen percent of the respondents feared an increase in arms smuggling from Afghanistan, while 12% said that a Taliban government in Afghanistan would lead to the spread of Islam in Pakistan as well.
Only 11% thought a Taliban government would ensure a reduction of cross-border terrorism.
Only 1 in 4 Pakistanis thought the PTI govt is capable of handling the deteriorating law and order situation in Pakistan
Seventy-five percent of the respondents did not think the PTI government can overcome a crisis situation in Pakistan if the law and order situation in Pakistan deteriorates due to the Taliban government in Afghanistan, revealed the survey.
The Taliban on Tuesday announced the first members of a new "acting" government, three weeks after sweeping into full power with the takeover of Kabul, on August 15.
"The cabinet is not complete, it is just acting," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had said in a press conference at the Government Information and Media Centre in Kabul.
"We will try to take people from other parts of the country," he added.
The list for the interim government contains 33 names. Some of the key appointments are outlined below: