The Pakistani passport once again ranked the fourth-worst, one place below Yemen and three steps above Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, in the world, according to the most recent Henley Passport Index.
Pakistan’s travel document stands at 109 on the index and grants free access to 32 countries only.
As the world recovers from COVID-19, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea have the most powerful passports, reversing pre-pandemic rankings dominated by European nations.
A Japanese passport, which stands at the top, grants free entry to 193 countries, one more than Singapore and South Korea passports.
Russian travel documents rank 50th, allowing easy access to 119 countries. China ranked 69th with access to 80 countries, India ranked 87th, and Afghanistan’s passport is the least useful, granting access to only 27 countries.
Asian countries top the index
According to the index, Asian countries barely featured among the world’s top ten most-accepted passports as recently as 2017. Europe’s hegemony has gradually waned, with Germany now chasing South Korea. According to the most recent ranking, the United Kingdom ranks sixth with access to 187 countries, while the United States ranks seventh with a score of 186.
Henley & Partners firm’s “Henley Passport Index” has been regularly monitoring the world’s most travel-friendly passports since 2006, The News reported.
The ranking is carried out after analysing and grading different travel documents from all the countries. What is primarily being judged is the international mobility that the passport holders enjoy.
In 2021, the index showed that Pakistan has visa-free access to only 31 other countries.
