Global index puts Pakistani passport at world's fourth weakest for international travel

The image shows a man holding a Pakistani passport in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 3, 2018. (AFP)
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Updated 20 July 2022
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Global index puts Pakistani passport at world's fourth weakest for international travel

  • Pakistani passport holders enjoy visa-free access to only 32 destinations worldwide
  • Only three other countries, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, rank lower than Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s passport maintained its rank as the fourth weakest for international travel, according to a global index report published this week that grades travel documents on the basis of international mobility enjoyed by holders.

The Henley Passport Index ranks visa-free access of 199 passports to 227 travel destinations across the world. The global index has exclusive access to data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate travel information.  

As per the index’s report for the third quarter of 2022, Pakistan retained its position at number 109 in the list, the fourth worst in the index, with visa-free access to only 32 destinations across the world. Pakistan also ranked 109th on the index in the last report published by the global index in the second quarter of 2022.  

Only three other countries’ passports rank lower than Pakistan, Syria (110), Iraq (111) and Afghanistan (112). Pakistan’s eastern neighbor India has been placed at number 87, with visa-free access to 60 destinations.  

Pakistan enjoyed its highest ranking on the index in 2006 when it was 79 on the index. The country’s position gradually fell over the years until it dropped to its lowest ranking of 113 in 2021.  

Japan, Singapore and South Korea are placed at number one on the index, with visa-free access to 193 destinations across the world.


IMF discussing electricity tariffs revisions with Pakistan

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IMF discussing electricity tariffs revisions with Pakistan

  • Pakistan announced proposed tariff overhaul which analysts said would lift inflation while easing pressure on industry
  • The talks come as Islamabad seeks to meet conditions under its $7 billion bailout with ⁠another review of program ‌approaching

KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund is discussing proposed electricity tariff revisions with ​Pakistan authorities, the fund said in a statement to Reuters on Saturday, adding that the burden of the revisions should not fall on middle- or lower-income households.

“The ongoing discussions with the authorities will assess whether the proposed tariff revisions are ‌consistent with these commitments ‌and evaluate their ​potential ‌impact ⁠on ​macroeconomic stability, including ⁠inflation,” it said in its statement.

Pakistan announced proposed tariff overhaul which analysts said would lift inflation while easing pressure on industry, as it seeks to meet conditions under its $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) as ⁠another review of the program ‌approaches.

The EFF is ‌a longer-term IMF loan program ​designed to help countries ‌address deep-seated economic weaknesses and medium-term balance-of-payments ‌problems.

Electricity carries significant weight in Pakistan’s consumer price index, making tariff adjustments highly sensitive at a time when inflation, though sharply lower than ‌its near-40 percent peak in 2023, remains a key political and economic pressure point.

Pakistan’s ⁠power ⁠sector has long been weighed down by circular debt — a chain of unpaid bills and subsidies that builds up across generation companies, distributors and the government — prompting repeated tariff increases under IMF-backed reforms since 2023.

The accumulation of power sector circular debt has been contained within program targets, supported by improved performance on recoveries and ​loss prevention, the ​Fund added.