ThePakistan Passport Henley Index 2026 recently became a major talking point after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated on social media that Pakistan’s passport ranking had improved dramatically from 126th to 98th. Many news platforms repeated this claim, presenting it as a big achievement for the country.
What the Official Henley Index Actually Says
According to the official Henley Passport Index 2026, Pakistan is currently ranked 98th. However, this ranking puts Pakistan joint fourth from the bottom worldwide, tied with Yemen. Only Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan rank lower, meaning Pakistan still has one of the weakest passports globally.
Has Visa-Free Access Increased ?
Although it has been claimed to be improved, Pakistani nationals do not enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to any more than 31 destinations with their passports. This figure has been prevalent since October 2025, and has evidently indicated that the global access of travel in Pakistan has not been altered.
The argument that Pakistan has risen up to 126 th position is false. Over the past 2 decades, Pakistan had the lowest Henley rating with 113 in 2021. The misunderstanding is that, due to various nations, they tend to be ranked the same way thus making minute differences much bigger as compared to what they are.
Although the changes in the rank have been a bit, then Pakistan has been ranked 102nd to 98th but this is largely technical. Pakistan Passport Henley Index 2026 in real terms has not improved on the travel freedom and passport strength.
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