International Desk

A passport of Pakistan, a country always under the shadow of exporting terrorism and illegal migration, remains one of the weakest in the world as it has been ranked the fourth worst in the Henley Passport Index, for the fourth straight year.

In this year’s Henley Passport Index released last week, Pakistan’s passport came in fourth from the bottom and it was tied with Yemen, which is in the middle of a brutal civil war.

According to the Henley Passport Index, which is the ranking of the world’s 199 passports according to the number of destinations their owners can access without a prior visa, the three countries ranked below Pakistan are Iraq, Syria, and last-placed Afghanistan, deemed to be among the most insecure in the world.

The passports of Pakistan and Yemen, which jointly hold the 100th position in the list, permit their owners visa-free access to 33 states, while Iraq’s passport allows visa-free travel to 31 destinations, Syria’s gives access to 28 states and Afghanistan’s passport allows visa-free access to only 26 destinations.

The passport ranking system is not particularly technical or refined as passports are ranked on the number of countries that allow holders to enter visa-free or reliably grant them visas on arrival, according to an editorial published in Pakistan’s The Express Tribune newspaper.

The ranking reflects many countries’ general lack of interest in attracting Pakistani tourists or businesspeople, the editorial read.

A press release quoted Henley & Partners CEO Juerg Steffen as saying that the research had consistently shown a strong correlation between a country’s visa-free score and its economic prosperity.

“Nations with higher visa-free scores tend to enjoy greater GDP per capita, increased foreign direct investment and more robust international trade relationships,” Juerg Steffen added.

However, setting a new record, Singapore has secured the top spot in the list with its passport providing citizens visa-free access to 195 destinations.

Germany, Italy, Japan, France and Spain tied for second place, with each passport allowing access to 192 destinations, while Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea and Sweden jointly hold the third position in the list with visa-free access to 191 destinations.

Pakistan’s neighbouring India ranked 82nd in the list with visa-free score 58, and Islamabad’s all weather ally China holds 59th position with 85 visa-free score.

Notably, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) came into the top 10 for the first time, having added an “impressive” 152 destinations since the index’s inception in 2006 to achieve its current visa-free score of 185, and rising a “remarkable” 53 places in the ranking from 62nd to 9th position in the process.

The Express Tribune, in an opinion piece, wrote that it is evident that the limitations imposed by the Pakistani passport significantly restrict the international mobility and opportunities for its holders.

The low ranking should serve as a wake-up call for Pakistani authorities to address the underlying issues hindering the strength of the passport, as per the editorial.

The opinion piece highlighted that enhancing global mobility is crucial in today’s interconnected world, not only for individual travellers but also for the country’s economic prospects, while the direct correlation between a country’s visa-free score and its economic prosperity underscores the broader impact of this issue.

The Express Tribune, in the opinion piece, wrote that the UAE’s success story highlights that the nation is a global hub for business, tourism and investment.

“Pakistan is none of those things. Still, the government needs to undertake deliberate and concerted efforts to improve the standing of its passport on the global stage,” the Pakistani newspaper remarked in the opinion piece.

“We may never get close to the top 20, or even the top 50, but at least we should not be ranked lower than countries under crippling sanctions, amid civil war, or called pariah states by the international media,” it added.

Meanwhile, according to Nomad Capitalists, Pakistan is a mid-ranking country in its list of worst passports, mainly due to the country’s “terrorist links”.

“Other reasons include weak government, poverty and the threat of some Pakistan passport holders overstaying their visas,” as per Nomad Capitalists.