India, Pakistan see each other as biggest threat, says survey:Both countries want better ties but lack trust; Russia and China seen as key allies

A new survey by the US think tank Pew Research Centre has highlighted a sharp difference in how people in India and Pakistan view each other. People in both countries see the other as their biggest threat. According to the survey, people in both countries want better relations with their neighbour. However, most do not believe that the other country also wants to improve ties. In India, 36% of people named Russia as their country’s most important ally, while 16% chose the US. In Pakistan, 75% considered China their most important ally, while 12% named Saudi Arabia as a friend of the country. 21% of Indian Muslims have a positive view of Pakistan According to Pew’s data, negative views of Pakistan in India are not new. However, opinions differ across communities. Around 21% of Indian Muslims had a positive view of Pakistan, compared with 6% among Hindus. There was also a difference when people were asked about threats. Around 34% of Indian Muslims said Pakistan was India’s biggest geopolitical threat, compared with 57% of Hindus. In Pakistan, meanwhile, nearly nine in 10 people had a negative view of India. Negative views of India were high across different social groups in Pakistan. Relations worsened after the Pahalgam attack The survey also referred to the recent tensions between India and Pakistan. On April 22, 2025, terrorists killed 26 people in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Most of those killed were tourists. India then launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-controlled areas. This led to increased military tensions between the two countries. After this, the Indian government decided to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. The treaty is particularly important for Pakistan, as a large part of its agriculture and water needs depends on the Indus River system. Indians see Russia and Pakistanis see China as key allies United States 45% of Indians had a positive view of the US, compared with just 15% of Pakistanis. Around 39% of Indians said they trusted US President Donald Trump to do the right thing in world affairs. The figure was 12% in Pakistan. Russia 58% of Indians had a positive view of Russia, compared with 39% of Pakistanis. Around 51% of Indians said they trusted Russian President Vladimir Putin to do the right thing in world affairs, compared with 32% in Pakistan. China Around 21% of Indians considered China their country’s most important ally. In Pakistan, 75% considered China their most important ally. India’s foreign policy is not tied to any one country The survey also highlights an important feature of India’s foreign policy. Unlike Pakistan, India does not show a strongly one-sided preference for any one foreign country. Instead, India appears to maintain ties with several major powers at the same time. India is expanding cooperation with the US in areas such as defence, technology and the Indo-Pacific. At the same time, it has longstanding defence ties with Russia. India also has border tensions and strategic competition with China, although the two countries work together on several issues through multilateral forums. This can be linked to India’s policy of strategic autonomy and multi-alignment. In simple terms, India seeks to avoid fully joining any one major power bloc and instead maintains relations with different countries based on its own national interests.