The Impact of US Aid on the Attitudes of Educated Youth of Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan is one of the countries which have been economically well aided by the US for a long time. A survey conducted in 2012 by Pew Research Center’s on the Pakistani people’s attitude towards the US, reveals that majority of the Pakistanis have antipathies against US. This research aimed to explore the opinions of Pakistani educated youth about the significance of US economic aid for Pakistan and the extent of their likeness for the residents of US and its policies towards region, specifically towards Pakistan especially after the incidence of 9/11. The data was collected with the help of a structured questionnaire by interviewing 300 university students over 18 years of age from various public and private sector universities in Karachi. This research shows that most of the respondents of the survey answered the US economic aid to their country is significant and helpful, differently from the result of the above Pew Research Center’s 2012 survey. Furthermore, half of them showed their likeness towards people of US and their policies to support Pakistan in alleviating poverty and for the economic development of their country. This situation shows that the young and well educated generation has more positive attitudes towards the US than the general population in Pakistan. Nonetheless, more than half of the respondents considered the reason the US has increased its economic aid to their country since 9/11 is not for Pakistan but for its engagement in ‘counter-terrorism in Afghanistan’.  The study concludes the signs of correlation between the US aid to Pakistan and likeness of Pakistani youth towards the people of US. This result has the important implication on the future relationship between US and Pakistan.

DOI: 10.7176/DCS/9-4-11

Publication date: April 30^th 2019