Pakistan’s passport has been ranked as one of the least powerful in the world by the latest Henley Passport Index released this week (on Tuesday). According to Henley Index, our western neighbour Pakistan has been ranked 100th along with Yemen. This is for the fourth year in a row that Pakistan’s passport continues at this rank. From the bottom, it is just at number four with only Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan ranking lower than it, according to a report of The News International.
Henley Passport Index has been in vogue for almost two decades now and it collects data from 227 nations regarding global freedoms. This data is collated basically from International Air Travellers Association (IATA).
Countries like Libya, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Somalia, Palestine, Bangladesh, North Korea and Iran are head of Pakistan when it comes to passport ranking. The Henley Index is based on a system wherein the number of nations that offer visa-free travel facilities to citizens of any country are used as a matrix. When this was considered, Pakistan scored a low score of only 33, meaning thereby that only 33 countries allow visa-free arrival facility to Pakistani citizens.
Incidentally, on Henley Passport Index, Singapore continues to enjoy top ranking as in the recent past too. The latest report says that those holding Singaporean passports (its citizens) can now access a record-breaking 195 destinations visa-free. In other words, there are 195 nations that do not impose any visa conditions on people from Singapore and welcome them with open arms. Visa free travel can prove to a huge advantage when it comes to international travel, be it for business, tourism, or even studying abroad.
After Singapore, the second ranking is shared by five countries and these are France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain, with a score of 192. Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden share the third position, with their passports granting visa-free entry to 191 countries. The UK ranked fourth on the index, granting its citizens visa-free access to 190 countries. Canada and the US secured seventh and eighth positions, respectively, with visa-free entry to 187 and 186 countries.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has climbed the ranks, moving from 11th to 9th place this year. Of late, its city Dubai is emerging as one of the foremost destinations for investors and that is a major contributing factor in its good ranking. Sharing this position with Lithuania and Estonia, UAE passport holders can access 185 countries without a visa.
India, Tajikistan, and Senegal shared the 82nd spot, offering visa-free travel to 58 destinations. Bahrain, Oman, and China came 57th, 58th, and 59th, respectively. Afghanistan ranked the lowest, with its passport being the worst in the world.
One of the basic reasons for low or high ranking of the passport of any country is the economic conditions prevalent at home. If the countries are prosperous, there is less likelihood of its citizens wanting to move abroad permanently and settle somewhere else. This cannot be said about Pakistan which has been facing challenging economic conditions at home with a significant section of citizenry feeling stifled. During the past few months, runaway inflation has pushed more Pakistanis below the poverty line.
Aviation journalist Tahir Imran Mian places this low ranking on Pakistan’s economic woes. He says: “While there are different criteria for these rankings, the major criterion is a country’s economic situation. Citizens from countries with strong economies are less likely to abandon their country and settle abroad without proper paperwork.’’
“A majority of Pakistanis, however, are likely to leave Pakistan if they get an opportunity. And there are multiple situations where Pakistanis who either are members of minority communities or have relatives living abroad already are more inclined to leave Pakistan and use whatever means they have on their hand to do so.”
