World

Pakistani passport still among worst in the world: report

In 2014, Pakistan was ranked at 92, along with Somalia

Web Desk October 15, 2015

PHOTO: FILE

The Pakistani passport this month dropped 14 places in the global travel ranking making it one of the worst passports to travel with, a report revealed.

The Visa Restrictions Index 2015, prepared by Henley & Partners, ranked Pakistan at 106th, making it one of four of the worst passports in the world.

With Pakistan's passport among the least desirable, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan followed closely behind at 107, 108 and 109 respectively. Meanwhile, the report places India at 87 and Bangladesh at 98.

Read: Pakistani passport remains among worst to travel with: Visa Restriction Index

The Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom that their citizens enjoy. he index is produced in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest database of travel information, and is published annually. The amount of nationalities evaluated is 199.

In 2014, Pakistan was ranked at 92, sharing the spot with Somalia, with citizens of both countries enjoying visa-free access to only 32 destinations around the world.

Read: Pakistani passport third worst for international travel

The report further revealed that the world's most powerful passports were now issued in the UK and Germany, with Finland, Sweden and the US all dropping to second place.

Compiled with excerpts from Arabian Business

COMMENTS (46)

Rahul | 9 years ago | Reply If in 2014 Pakistani citizens could travel to 32 countries and in two 2015 it could travel to only 31 countries then which country has revoked it VOA facility to Pakistan?

khalid | 9 years ago | Reply There ara huge number of pakistanis living abroad using afghan passports...specialy from kpk pakistan...

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Sandip | 9 years ago | Reply @Shaukat ali: I have better things to do in life than to be a member of the shiv sena, which is nothing more than a gang of thugs. In any case, me being or not being a member of any group doesn't take away the fact that you guys have developed a pretty miserable reputation on your own.

MindYourOwnBusiness | 9 years ago | Reply @Shiv: Pakistani passport is good or bad none of your business, but Pakistani news sites most certainly rank no.1 for indians

Dr.shafi | 9 years ago | Reply @pakistani, yes ur right, even if bangladesh rankes above us, doesnt matter we r nuclear power and proud muslim

Shaukat ali | 9 years ago | Reply Shiv senna, rss and other radical Hindu organizations have destroyed India of which sandip is a member. No more moderates left!

Brar | 9 years ago | Reply @Pakistani: Yes I can second it from my personal experience the reply of Norwegian Embassy when I applied for one year study visa and I had paid the fee to a school, they stated visa refused as the applicants hails from country which has great potential for immigration and may prolong his stay. It was printed form and the names of Pakistan,Nepal,Bangladesh were struck off.

Rao | 9 years ago | Reply @Skywalker: He says he was coerced to sign passport application as Indian citizen. Otherwise a passport wouldn't have been issued. He was unwilling to travel with a Pak passport and There is no such thing as Kashmiri one!

VINOD | 9 years ago | Reply @Woz Ahmed: Yes you are right. Not passport but you need boats, containers, walking boots, emergency survival kits and advanced training to hide and hood wink.

khan | 9 years ago | Reply I have traveled the Globe with the Same green passport, and dnt spare a dime about visa free entry.

allaisa | 9 years ago | Reply Dossiers must be delivered to all countries protesting this discrimination. Let me hope Pakistan has enough paper to print all these dossiers.

Asok | 9 years ago | Reply Amazing that North Korea and Iran are ranked above Pakistan.

Asok | 9 years ago | Reply "Number of nationalities", not "amount of nationalities".

globalobserver | 9 years ago | Reply "With Pakistan’s passport among the least desirable, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan followed closely behind at 107, 108 and 109 respectively." That says it all! Grouped with Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq!

Khalistan | 9 years ago | Reply @Shiva It is also the deeds of an average India abroad that has brought you the 87th rank. Take the racism against in Indians in Australia as an example. Dear Indians we don`t need your holier than thou opinions, better mind your own business Indian passport is placed at the 87th rank which is also pretty worse by all standards followed by Pakistan at 106.

sterry | 9 years ago | Reply @hammurabi: No one has brought shame to anyone or any passport. The reality is that people from poor countries want to go where there is more opportunity. There is no difference between any passport from Nigeria, Iran, India, Pakistan or Thailand - these people will all be checked since they pose a greater flight risk and like all poor people, will try to stay where they can make more money and live a better life. This is the basis of visa rules. If they think someone will go back more likely, they give visa and there is less checking.

LS | 9 years ago | Reply @Pakistani: Overstaying may be a minor part but the reputation of the country is the BIGGEST part. How the people project themselves in a foreign country or when a foreign national arrives in your country what impressions they carry matters the most. That is why Maldives with its touristy locations and positive impact has the best of it @ #60 and then India @87.

Skywalker | 9 years ago | Reply @hammurabi: Please provide documented evidence before you make such allegations.

Amjad HUSSAIN | 9 years ago | Reply Interesting comments on report itself. I have travelled a lot during last 11 years to many countries. Did not face any discrimination or extra ordinary issue with my green passport. Pakistan is going through difficult times and all ranking and comments come like this report when you are in difficulties. The solution is to look for improvements as well as highlight improvements. Negative comments feedback and blame game will die one day.. improvements and continues improvements are the only answers to these issues. We have capabilities to improve it. We did it in recent days during army operation against so called taliban terrorists. We have recently improved law an order in Karachi. All th big nations have gone through some big time pains but they recovered. We will also come out of such issues inshallah.

hammurabi | 9 years ago | Reply Afghanis travelling on Pakistani passports have created this situation.Pakistanis are peaceful law abiding citizens in foreign countries.Extremists using pakistsni pasdports have brought a bad nsme to Pakistan.

Juggernaut | 9 years ago | Reply @Pakistani: But remember there huge gap between India and Pakistan now a days. Even china is behind the India.

Juggernaut | 9 years ago | Reply @stevenson: Well said Stevenson

Napier Man | 9 years ago | Reply @Sandip: Very well said Sandip.

whatever | 9 years ago | Reply Syria, Pakistan, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan these are the worst one clubbed with each other. while Indian passport has scored better than China and no SA countries is even near to India.

SuperNeo | 9 years ago | Reply @tazia: Thosec 31 countries are island of africa. No one knows tha name of those countries.

Skywalker | 9 years ago | Reply Thats why Geelani wanted his Indian Passport renewed.

Pakistani | 9 years ago | Reply An Indian passport does not fair any better neither do nepali,sri lankan and Bangadeshi passports.People from the sub continent tend to over stay their visas and start working illegally.

Jay | 9 years ago | Reply Chinese are at 93 !!

Assad | 9 years ago | Reply @IBN E ASHFAQUE: Don't blame the Almighty for positing this leadership on us. We have hoisted it upon ourselves with our very own votes!!!

stevenson | 9 years ago | Reply @IBN E ASHFAQUE: Any passport from any Muslim country will be regarded poorly. Imagine how bad an Iranian, Saudi, Afghan or Somali passport is viewed ! That's why Muslims are smuggling themselves into Europe for asylum from all Muslim countries.

Last Word | 9 years ago | Reply Instead of exporting terror, Pakistan becomes a civilised nation and start focusing on its economy which will not only help going several notches up but its citizens shall be welcomed all over the world..

Sandip | 9 years ago | Reply @Azi: You are wrong my friend. Keep breeding the same snakes and they will keep producing snakes of their types in turn. Those are the snakes who have usurped everything from the civilian leadership and has kept them looking over their shoulders for the next move. That's what has gotten your country to this pathetic state.

Mrs HighBall | 9 years ago | Reply @kdp: Pakistanis would stick out like a sore thumb amongst Syrians and Libyans. Their look, their gestures are just different.

Azi | 9 years ago | Reply Keep on electing the same gang of thugs over and over again, its only fitting that their incompetence becomes a punishment for you people.

kdp | 9 years ago | Reply Pakistanis do not need passport. They can get mixed up with Syrians, Libyans and Europeans welcome them anyway.

tazia | 9 years ago | Reply Currently, 31 countries are offering visa free entry to Pakistani citizen. If our Govt do some efforts, it can increase it to 50-55 countries - BUT THAT WILL REQUIRE SERIOUS DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS FROM REAL DIPLOMATS...................Anyone from foreign ministry wake up and do something.

cautious | 9 years ago | Reply Has been one of the worst passports for a long time ... it's a reflection of how your country is perceived by the rest of the World. Maybe it's time for a change in policies?

Mrs HighBall | 9 years ago | Reply Pakistani passport's value or rather lack of value closely corresponds to weakness of its rupee over the decades. And that is all I have to say on this topic.

shank | 9 years ago | Reply No individual in Pakistan wants to take responsibility and its always the 'Leaders' who are responsible for all ills.

Shiv | 9 years ago | Reply @IBN E ASHFAQUE: Nonsense! Dont try and find excuses. Its the deeds of an average Pakistani abroad that creates this impressions. Like your Anjum Chowdhury for instance!

Shakil Ahmed Khan | 9 years ago | Reply What you mean by still worst? What Pakistan and its government has done any diplomatic efforts to improve its situation? unless you do something about its going to get worst!

Parvez | 9 years ago | Reply It matters not to our leaders....as almost all have dual nationality.....for them its their ' escape hatch '.

Sadi | 9 years ago | Reply Agreed @IBN

Eshal | 9 years ago | Reply As if we care!

IBN E ASHFAQUE | 9 years ago | Reply The Pakistani passport reflects the quality of leadership both civil and non-civil in Pakistan. The truth is that ordinary Pakistanis have to bear the brunt of this while travelling abroad. May Pakistanis shun sectarianism and shun ethnicity (identifying on basis of location of birth) and seek forgiveness for Allah as only HE can protect Pakistanis from the leadership that HE has posited on us for all our sins. Aameen.

Woz Ahmed | 9 years ago | Reply To get to Europe these days we don't need passports, in fact when you cross the border they can be more of a hinderance.

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