Pakistan’s passport has recently been in the spotlight after Minister Mohsin Naqvi claimed on social media that its ranking had jumped “from 126th to 98th,” calling it a major achievement.
Several news outlets echoed this narrative, reporting that Pakistan now enjoys greater visa-free access.
However, the facts tell a different story.
According to the official 2026 Henley Passport Index, Pakistan is ranked 98th, tied for the 4th worst passport in the world with Yemen, and only better than Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
Pakistani passport holders can travel visa-free or with a visa-on-arrival to 31 countries, the same number as in October 2025.
The claim that Pakistan rose from 126th is also inaccurate. Pakistan’s lowest recorded Henley rank in the last 20 years was 113th in 2021.
Multiple countries often share the same ranking, which can give the appearance of a larger leap than actually occurred.
Despite minor numerical changes from 102nd to 98th, the reality is that Pakistan remains one of the world’s weakest passports, and its global mobility has not improved at all.
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not true