Passport problems

Last week brought some expected statistics for Pakistan: the country’s passport ranking continued to disappoint as it remained on the fourth worst rank in the world. The UK-based Hanley Passport Index has analyzed 199 passports to find out the freedom they enjoy to access at least 227 travel destinations. Pakistani passport holders have the privilege to access only 33 destinations without requiring a visa. Singapore, which topped the ranking, can access 195 destinations without a visa. The disparity is huge, but this is not something unique. Pakistan has been in the bottom four for quite some time now, with no urgency at the government level to fix the ranking. Our country’s passport holders continue to talk about the opportunities they miss because they could not get a visa on time. The world has become a global village, and uninterrupted travel is essential if a person wants to climb up the ladder of success. We have seen how people from developed countries have found a second home in different countries. But for Pakistanis, the world is increasingly limited, with most countries sceptical about allowing us to enter.

This can tie in with how, over the last few years, more people have expressed their intention to leave the country whenever the right opportunity strikes. Hundreds of people take the dangerous and illegal migration route through boats to reach Europe. As of February 21, 2024, more than 23,000 Pakistanis are in jail abroad, including those who were caught for entering their destination countries illegally. In 2020, many imprisoned people refused to take government help because they wanted to have the option of somehow reaching Europe. On top of it, regular surveys also suggest that over 50 per cent of Pakistanis want to leave the country. The government here has to understand that this perception itself (regardless of the actual number of people going abroad in a year) creates paranoia among other countries that see travellers from here as a threat.

What the government should do is to ensure that people have a reason to stay here. The sparse development funds that are further cut to meet the demands of businesses are not enough for the overall welfare and wellbeing of people. Urban cities here lack proper infrastructure with citizens left without basic facilities, including uninterrupted supplies of gas and electricity. Rising inflation, lack of affordable housing, and an indifferent government are some reasons that push people away from their homeland. It is rather heartbreaking to see educated and high-skilled Pakistanis opting for meagre jobs in Middle Eastern and Western countries so that their families can enjoy the basic facilities of life. All of this has to be reversed. Our people deserve access to the same opportunities that people from other countries have. In the meanwhile, instead of squabbling over their petty politics, perhaps our political leaders could do something worthwhile to raise the status of the country within the global community.