80 Years, 4 Wars, One Deep Divide: Why Do India And Pakistan Still See Each Other As The Biggest Threat?

Nearly eight decades after the 1947 Partition, relations between India and Pakistan remain deeply rooted in mistrust and hostility. People in the two nuclear-armed neighbouring countries continue to view each other as the biggest geopolitical threat.

Since Partition, India and Pakistan have fought four major wars: the first Indo-Pak war of 1947-48, followed by the 1965 war, the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh, and the 1999 Kargil War. The first, second and Kargil conflicts were closely linked to the Kashmir dispute, while the 1971 war stemmed from the crisis in then-East Pakistan and ultimately resulted in Bangladesh’s independence.

This picture of how India and Pakistan perceive each other has emerged from a 2026 survey by the Pew Research Centre. Conducted across South Asia between February and May 2026, the survey found that 54 per cent of Indians identified Pakistan as the biggest threat to their country.

Meanwhile, 43 per cent of Pakistanis considered India their biggest security threat. China ranked second in Pakistan’s threat perception, with 21 per cent, while Israel and the United States were each identified by 24 per cent of respondents.

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78 Per Cent Of Indians Have Negative Opinion Of Pakistan

The survey highlights the depth of negative perceptions between the two countries. In India, 78 per cent of respondents had a negative opinion of Pakistan, with 65 per cent holding a very negative view.

In Pakistan, nearly eight out of nine people expressed a negative opinion of India, with 73 per cent having a very unfavourable view.

According to Pew Research, negative views of Pakistan in India are not new. Since 2013, the share of Indians with a positive opinion of Pakistan has never crossed 20 per cent.

Pakistan has also maintained largely negative perceptions of India, with favourable opinions generally ranging from single digits to around one-third.

Differences In Opinions Among Indian Muslims

The survey also showed a significant difference in perceptions within India. 21 per cent of Indian Muslims expressed a positive opinion of Pakistan, compared with only 6 per cent of Indian Hindus.

Similarly, 34 per cent of Indian Muslims considered Pakistan the biggest threat to India, compared with 57 per cent among Hindus.

People In Both Countries Believe Their Side Is Right

The survey revealed another aspect of the deep distrust between India and Pakistan. People in both countries believe that their own government and citizens want good relations with their neighbour, but remain doubtful about the intentions of the other side.

Most Indians believe that the Indian government and people want good relations with Pakistan. However, many Pakistanis disagree and believe that the Indian government and public are not committed to improving ties.

The picture is almost the opposite in Pakistan. Most Pakistanis believe their government and people want better relations with India, while most Indians feel that Pakistan’s government and people are not serious about improving relations. Nearly a quarter of Indians were unsure on this issue.

Sri Lanka Most Positive Towards India

The Pew survey covered Bangladesh and Sri Lanka along with India and Pakistan. Sri Lanka emerged as the country with the most positive perception of India among the four.

Around 79 per cent of Sri Lankans expressed a favourable opinion of India, compared with 42 per cent in Bangladesh and just 7 per cent in Pakistan.

Moreover, 63 per cent of Sri Lankans identified India as their country’s most important ally. In contrast, Bangladesh and Pakistan were more likely to view India as their biggest threat.

Big Difference In Opinions About PM Modi

Opinions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi also varied across the four countries. Around 70 per cent of Sri Lankans expressed confidence in PM Modi to do the right thing in world affairs, compared with 42 per cent in Bangladesh and only 4 per cent in Pakistan.

India Most Negative Towards Pakistan

Pakistan’s image was most negative in India compared with the other South Asian countries surveyed. Only 8 per cent of Indians expressed a favourable opinion of Pakistan.

In contrast, 57 per cent of Sri Lankans and 54 per cent of Bangladeshis expressed a positive opinion of Pakistan.

Bangladesh was also viewed positively in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Around 66 per cent of Pakistanis and 56 per cent of Sri Lankans had a favourable opinion of Bangladesh. In India, nearly one-fourth of respondents expressed a positive opinion of Bangladesh.

Russia Is India’s Most Important Ally

The survey also revealed a major difference in the global outlook of Indians and Pakistanis. In India, 36 per cent of respondents named Russia as their most important ally, while 16 per cent chose the United States.

Positive views of Russia also remained strong in India. Around 58 per cent of Indians expressed a favourable opinion of Russia, while 51 per cent expressed confidence in Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In Pakistan, 39 per cent had a favourable opinion of Russia, while 32 per cent expressed confidence in Putin.

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India And Pakistan Have Opposite Views On China

A significant difference was also seen in how people in the two countries view China. 90 per cent of Pakistanis expressed a positive opinion of China, while 83 per cent had confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Nearly 75 per cent of Pakistanis considered China their country’s most important ally, followed by Saudi Arabia at 12 per cent.

In India, the picture was quite different. Only around a quarter of Indians expressed a positive opinion of China or Xi Jinping. Indian Muslims were slightly more positive towards China than Hindus, but negative views remained dominant overall.

Eight Decades Later, Mistrust Remains

The Pew Research Centre survey shows that the India-Pakistan divide is not limited to governments, armies or borders.

The views of ordinary people in both countries also reflect the deep impact of decades of conflict, the legacy of Partition and national perceptions formed against each other.

(With Jagran.com Inputs)

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