Pakistan passport dropped to 102nd place globally after a further decline in its ranking, the latest report by the global passport-ranking organization Henley & Partners revealed on Wednesday. The report unveiled in media that the passports from countries such as Somalia, Yemen, Bangladesh, the Palestinian Authority, Ethiopia and Libya have been ranked higher than Pakistan, occupying 101st position. The citizens of these countries can travel to 38 countries without a visa while Pakistani passport holders have visa-free access to 34 countries. The report also highlights that Singapore holds the world's most powerful passport, with its citizens able to travel to 195 countries without a visa. Following Singapore, the citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain have access to 192 countries without needing a visa.

On the other hand, Afghanistan holds the position of having the weakest passport, as its citizens can travel to only 28 countries without a visa. One of the key reasons behind the continuous decline of the Pakistani passport is the large number of Pakistanis attempting to illegally migrate to European countries due to the current uncertain political and economic situation in the country. Additionally, many Pakistanis are residing illegally in Gulf countries, with a major number involved in begging, which is illegal in countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Saudi Arabian jails are reportedly filled with Pakistani nationals involved in this illegal activity. The reputation of the Pakistani passport has also been severely damaged by Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan, who have reportedly bribed passport authorities to obtain Pakistani passports.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan