ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani passport has slipped to 103rd position in the latest global rankings, with visa-free access to just 35 countries, the National Assembly was informed on Thursday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attributed this decline largely to the misuse of Pakistani travel documents by Afghan nationals.
Presenting a report to the assembly secretariat, the Foreign Ministry cited the Henley Passport Index 2025, which places Pakistan’s passport among the weakest in the world. Officials noted that the unauthorized use of counterfeit Pakistani passports by Afghans seeking illegal migration has severely tarnished the country’s global reputation.
“The repeated use of fake Pakistani documents by Afghan citizens has not only harmed Pakistan’s image abroad but also restricted the mobility of genuine passport holders,” the report stated.
In addition to document misuse, the report identified other contributing factors including political instability, economic uncertainty, and rising incidents of illegal immigration.
To counter these challenges, the Foreign Ministry called for a comprehensive, long-term policy from the Ministry of Interior to restore global confidence in Pakistani travel credentials. It also stressed the importance of digitizing passport services and strictly cracking down on fraudulent issuance.
The issue has already prompted administrative action. On April 10, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi unveiled a series of reforms aimed at curbing misuse and illegal travel. Speaking during a visit to the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, Naqvi ordered full implementation of passport-blocking for deportees and the tightening of eligibility requirements to deter beggary and unlawful migration.
During the visit, he also inaugurated six new Machine Readable Passport (MRP) systems and two E-passport machines. The additions are expected to significantly increase the department’s processing capacity and reduce delays in passport issuance.
Officials hope that the combined administrative and policy reforms will help reverse the decline and eventually restore credibility to the Pakistani passport on the global stage.
