I believe this article explains some of the reasons from one of my old articles:
The growing agitation of Pakistanis against USA
A recent survey conducted by Pew Global Attitudes (a project of a research center in Washington) in Pakistan has proven that the 64% of the people in Pakistan see USA as one of the greatest threats to Pakistan. On the other hand only about 9% believe that the US can ever be Pakistans ally. However 70% of the Pakistanis who were questioned are absolutely against the Taliban and seek their utter elimination. Another survey conducted for the international broadcaster Al Jazeera by Gallup Pakistan found that 59 percent of Pakistanis felt the greatest threat to the country was the United States rather than the Taliban.
As the report suggests Pakistanis despise the USA but do not side with the Taliban or Al Qaeda. Generally Pakistanis view US unfavourably but they see the militants negatively too.
Unfortunately the Americans cannot come to understand why Pakistanis see them as their foremost enemy rather than the terrorists. On the other hand Pakistanis feel they have been constantly betrayed despite seeing the Americans as allies. They believe they have been used to accomplish USAs strategic goals and interests in the region and have then been abandoned.
A look at history
The Taliban were formed, supported and funded by the USA in the 1980s in order to drive away the Soviets from Afghanistan and offset the defeat they suffered to the Communists in the Vietnam War. According to newly opened CIA files USA wanted the Soviets to intervene in Afghanistan and aid was being transferred to Anti communist elements since July 1979 which was before the Soviets had officially invaded.
Pakistan was not always keen to join the war and did so upon USAs insistence.
Sources even claim that Zia Ul Haq did not want to get involved in the war but many promises of opening up military and economic assistance were offered to President Zia by American diplomats to convince him to join the war. This and the promise of a long lasting relationship with the USA convinced Pakistanis.
However by directly interfering in neighbouring Afghanistan on the behest of American urging
Pakistan suffered over 120 incidents of terrorism which killed many citizens. One such bombing was the Islamabad depot bombings which were blamed on Najibullahs Soviet backed Afghan government. USA suffered no losses as they had no troops on the ground and were too far away from the region.
Not surprisingly when the war was over Pakistan was not needed and the country was abandoned. In 1990 military and economic ties were cut off with Pakistan under the Presler Amendment which required proof that Pakistan did not possess a nuclear weapon. Tests by India on the other hand which were actually conducted much earlier were ignored and no sanctions were slapped on India.
Pakistanis also felt betrayed because America itself has one of the largest stockpiles of nuclear weapons in the World and is the only Nation to have used them.
Pakistans Nuclear Tests
India conducted its first surprise nuclear test in 1974 known as the Smiling Buddha. USA turned a blind eye to the first test but Indias second test in 1998 which followed a similar test by Pakistan almost immediately received international condemnation. Initially sanctions were imposed on both India and Pakistan.
However after a few months the sanctions on India were removed while those on Pakistan remained. Certain military sanctions specially relating to nuclear technology continue till today however no such sanctions are being imposed on India. The differential treatment annoys Pakistanis as India has 10 times Pakistans population and is much larger than Pakistan. The military as well is larger than Pakistans own.
Furthermore Pakistanis cannot understand why
USA signed a nuclear deal with India but is not willing to sign the exact same deal with Islamabad which has sent clear signals that it wants a peaceful nuclear deal with the USA for power generation purposes. Pakistan is facing crippling power shortages that are affecting the daily life of its citizens. In major cities people have to make do without 6-10 hours of electricity in a day.
The relationship today
Americans believe that the aid they are giving Pakistan in the War on Terror is more than enough and is a message to Pakistan to forget the past and move on. However what they dont seem to understand is that the
losses of Pakistan in the WOT have crossed $35.5 Billion in damages to Pakistan. The aid does not compensate Pakistan for the losses given that the $11 Billion in aid given as yet is not even a quarter of this figure.
To aggravate things further much of the aid given to Pakistan has still not been delivered and much of it will be eaten up by the administrative costs of the US embassy.
In addition the Americans have expressed no sympathy for the 8000 Pakistani civilians and 2500 soldiers killed in a highly unpopular war but have always pushed Pakistan to do more as if it were their colony.
Many Pakistanis as a result believe that USA is supporting terrorism in their country. The fact that the US has released several Taliban commanders from its custody such as Abdullah Mehsud who have attacked Pakistani Nationals soon after their release has further supported this belief. The latest addition to the long list of such commanders is Mehdi-Mohammed Ghazali who was captured in Pakistan recently and is a Swedish National released from Guantanamo Bay.
The American media has a way of aggravating the situation and pouring salt to the fresh wounds of the Nation. The suggestion that Pakistani nukes may fall in the hands of terrorists only fuels rage and in turn is seen as a scheme to take possession of Pakistans nuclear weapons. On the other hand the constant campaigns of accusations aimed at Pakistans premier intelligence agency the ISI and the military are seen as an attempt to isolate and destroy the military and ISI so that it cannot stop CIAs designs in the region.
When it is stated that Pakistan is not serious in the War on Terror despite the death of thousands of its own people it also fuels Anti Americanism. The Pakistanis have now become even more suspicious of the USA because of these media campaigns.
Due to the American policies towards Pakistan in the past and those that still continue today many Pakistanis simply see the terrorist organizations as American agents. For the majority of Pakistanis the USA and Taliban are basically two sides of the same coin.
Is USA losing Pakistan?
The very attitude of the USA towards Pakistan leaves lingering resentment and rage amongst Pakistanis. It does nothing but make terrorist organizations more powerful.
Where yesterday only a section of the population believed no productive ties could ever develop between Pakistan and USA today this phenomenon is noticeable even amongst the moderates as they see the USA as their sworn enemy. Pakistani analysts now believe it is time for Pakistan to take a tougher stance with the USA and design a policy that stops the tide of rising extremism and ensures Pakistan is not seen as an American lackey.
Most Pakistanis are already suggesting that either the Pakistanis take a tougher stance towards the USA and demand to be treated with the respect they deserve or withdraw from the War completely declaring themselves neutral to both the USA and the Afghan Taliban.
Whatever the case Pakistanis are now adamant to stand up to the United States and present themselves as an independent Nation that has enough spine to say no to the Americans when needed and guard its own interests. US is on the path to losing Pakistan much like it lost Iran in the 1980's.
Reasons for the agitation against the US
