Islamabad: Pakistanis show "weak support" for using force against Islamic militants and overwhelmingly oppose allowing foreign forces to combat Taliban or al Qaeda elements in the country, says a new survey.

Forty-four per cent of urban respondents favoured sending the Pakistan Army to the northwestern tribal areas to "pursue and capture al Qaeda fighters" while only 48 per cent would allow the Army to act against "Taliban insurgents who have crossed over from Afghanistan", according to the survey by WorldPublicOpinion.org.

In both cases, about a third opposed military action and a fifth declined to answer.

Less than a third of those surveyed expressed support for President Pervez Musharraf or former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Asked who is the best person to lead Pakistan, Musharraf was cited by only 21 per cent. Bhutto, who was forced out of office in 1996 amid allegations of corruption, was seen as the best to lead by only 27 per cent. Sharif, who was toppled by Musharraf in 1999, was seen as the best leader by 21 per cent.

The issue of permitting foreign troops to attack al Qaeda on Pakistani territory was rejected overwhelmingly, with four out of five (80 per cent) saying the government should not allow US or other foreign troops to enter Pakistan to pursue and capture al Qaeda fighters.

Three out of four (77 per cent) opposed allowing foreign troops to attack Taliban insurgents based in Pakistan.

Source : PTI