India, U.S. more popular than extremists in Pakistan: Survey

India and the United States have notched up favourable ratings viz a viz Al Qaeda or the Taliban in a recent poll survey conducted in Pakistan.

About 12 percent of the Pakistanis view Al Qaeda favourably while the Taliban commands eight percent in the survey. Interestingly 14 and 13 percent view the United States and India in favourable light respectively, reported The Dawn.

Pew Research Centre, which has conducted the survey also shows that the price-hike has replaced energy shortage as the country's number one problem.

Among others things that the survey conducted, the poll found that an overwhelming 76 percent consider rich-poor gap as the country's top problem, closely followed by 62 percent respondents citing lack of health facilities in the country. Public debt , poor quality schooling, food safety , bad traffic, air pollution, water pollution as other areas which follows in that order of concern shown by the participants.

Shia-Sunni tension is a concern for close to 39 percent respondents in Pakistan , while 28 percent shows the same in case for the situation in Afghanistan. Meanhwile 26 percent respondents showed concern about Indian influence in Afghanistan.