Pakistan

Pakistani passport listed world’s fourth weakest

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Pakistan has been ranked as having the fourth weakest passport in the world, according to Henley & Partners, a global citizenship and residence advisory company.

Among 227 countries assessed on the index, the country stands at the 100th position, which has been determined based on the number of destinations Pakistani residents can visit without needing a visa.

Earlier this year, the nation of over 220 million was listed among the five countries with the lowest-ranked passports by the London-based advisory firm.

According to the report, Pakistanis had access to 35 countries with an on-arrival visa facility until January this year, which has now come down to 33.

Meanwhile, Singapore leads the index as possessing the most-coveted passport in the world, pushing Japan — leading the list for the last five years — to the third position shared with South Korea, Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg and Sweden, granting their citizens access to 189 destinations without a prior visa.

Singaporeans, on the other hand, can visit at least 193 destinations visa-free around the world out of the total 227.

While Asia has conventionally dominated the rankings in the index, Europe is coming back, with Germany, Italy, and Spain rising to the second spot, offering visa-free access to 190 destinations.

Once leading the index, the United States of America and the United Kingdom are witnessing their rankings plummet. However, Britain has shown improvement, moving up to fourth place, while the US ranking has dropped to eighth with access to 183 visa-free destinations.

The Henley Passport Index, which ranks 199 passports based on International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, is regularly updated to reflect changes in visa policies. The average number of visa-free destinations, over the years, for travellers has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109.

Despite the case, there remains a significant gap in travel freedom between the top-ranked and bottom-ranked countries. Nationals of conflict-ridden countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, possess the least travel privileges, with access to just 27, 29, and 30 destinations, respectively.

“The general trend over the history of the 18-year-old ranking has been towards greater travel freedom, with the average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free nearly doubling from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2023,” a statement by Henley & Partners read.

Latest News

FO admits that a boat capsized in Greece, killing four Pakistanis.

Published

1 week ago

Farwa

The deaths of four Pakistanis in a boat capsizing event close to the southern Greek island of Goudos have been verified by the Foreign Office.

The incident happened on Sunday and at least five illegal immigrants drowned as a result. According to Greek Coast Guards, 39 people were rescued after the wooden boat overturned, but 40 more are still unaccounted for.

According to a Foreign Office spokeswoman, the four Pakistani nationals were among those killed in the catastrophe. In order to help the remaining Pakistanis and repatriate the corpses of the deceased, the Pakistani Embassy in Athens has been in close communication with Greek authorities, she said.

Additional information was given by Aamir Aftab Qureshi, Pakistan’s ambassador to Greece, during a press conference. According to him, there were 80 Pakistanis on board the doomed boat, and efforts are still being made to find the people who are still missing.

He added that the overcrowding on the boat was a factor in the capsizing. There are worries over the safety of the missing people because a sizable portion of them are children. He stated that five boats carrying Pakistani nationals were traveling illegally from Libya.

The public was also informed by Ambassador Qureshi that the government will pay for the return flight of the accident victims’ bodies.

Latest News

Every office will have a biometric system installed by Lesco.

Published

2 weeks ago

Farwa

system in each office.

Details show that the LESCO had ordered the installation of biometric systems in all offices, including the divisions and the circle.

The installation of the biometric system at the headquarters resulted in an increase in attendance, as the LESCO CEO had stated.

The CEO of LESCO claimed that the biometric system has resolved the issues related to the fictitious overtime and off-days.

Latest News

Around 450 Pakistanis have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to a briefing from the Foreign Office.

Published

2 weeks ago

Farwa

Approximately 450 Pakistanis, including 250 Zaireen, have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.

During her weekly briefing at the foreign office in Islamabad, she stated that Pakistan is pleased with the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on the Gaza Strip, which calls for an immediate ceasefire.

In addition, she expressed her satisfaction with the elimination of limits placed on UNRWA’s ability to carry out relief activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

It was stated by her that Pakistan is demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities in Palestine, an end to the genocide that is taking place in Gaza, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for those who are in urgent need, full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and its mandated humanitarian activities, and medical assistance for those who are in urgent need.

Moreover, she stated that Pakistan emphasises the need for the international community to hold Israel accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that it has committed in occupied lands.

The Israeli aggression against Syria, the illegitimate acquisition of Syrian territory, and the massive devastation of Syrian infrastructure as well as civilian and military sites are all topics that Pakistan is extremely worried about, according to the spokesperson for Pakistan.

According to her, this attack on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is a serious violation of international law to the highest degree. By expressing our support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we are also expressing our opposition to the Israeli government’s attempt to acquire territory through coercion.

The resolution 497 of the United Nations Security Council, which declares the annexation of the Golan Heights by Israel to be null and illegal and to have no international legal impact, was reaffirmed by her organisation.