Pakistani passport

[ghazi52]

Pakistani passport


The Pakistani passport has been a mirror of the persistent existentialist tussle in the country itself. The evolution of its look and contents have reflected (or, rather, have been made to reflect), what Pakistan as a polity and a nation stands for.

The country came into being in August 1947, mainly through the efforts of a sharp lawyer and Muslim modernist, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Jinnah explained the new country as a modern Muslim-majority state where 'Muslim culture' would dominate the society but the state itself would have nothing to do with matters of faith. According to the founder, religion was an individual's private matter.

Jinnah passed away just a year after Pakistan's creation. And ever since his death, the country's state, various governments, and the moderate, liberal, and conservative intelligentsia have been locked in continuous battle over the question of the country's raison d'être and ideological composition.

According to moderates and liberals, Jinnah envisioned Pakistan as a project to conceive and initiate an entirely modernistic, flexible and pluralistic strand of Islam, which could then go on to inspire the rest of the Muslim world.

On the other hand, conservative and religious intelligentsia insists that Pakistan was created as a jumping pad to launch a theological state. They maintain that this was to be done through legislation from above and evangelical activity from below, which would then shape a 'unique' Islamic state for the Muslim Ummah.

This battle has raged on and it becomes even starker when it is played out in the corridors of the state.

The initiatives have gone to and fro between the liberal/moderate narrative and the conservative one. The evolution and trajectory of this battle can also be traced in the transformation of the Pakistani passport.

The cover of Pakistan's first passport


Issued in late 1947, the cover of Pakistan’s first passport is largely beige in colour and only partially green.

It has 'Pakistan Passport' written in three languages: English, Bengali, and Urdu.

It has two Pakistan flags, one symbolising the country's western wing (West Pakistan) and the other its eastern wing (East Pakistan). Inside, there is just the holder's name, address, profession, photo, and marital status.

Pakistanis did not require pre-arrival visas and could get visas-on-arrival in any country they wished to travel, including India

The Bengali text had disappeared from the West Pakistani passport


By 1954, the colour green had ousted the beige. The two flags were still there, but the holder's name now appeared on the cover.

Due to tensions between the state and the Bengali majority of East Pakistan, the government had introduced the One Unit scheme, which treated the ethnically diverse West Pakistan as a single province and the Bengali-dominated East Pakistan as the other province.

Consequently, West Pakistani passports (like the one in the picture) had 'Pakistan Passport' written only in English and Urdu, whereas East Pakistani passports had the same written in English and Bengali.

This was soon changed, but the rest of the contents remained the same: holder's name, photo, address, profession, and marital status.

Pakistanis could still get on-arrival-visas in most countries, except Israel, the Soviet Union and Afghanistan – countries that Pakistan had developed strained relations with. However, India and Pakistan were still issuing on-arrival-visas to one another despite the fact that both had gone to war in 1948.

Pakistani passport during Ayub's era


The dark green passport lasted till 1960. In 1956, when the Constituent Assembly authored and passed the country's first constitution, it declared Pakistan an Islamic Republic.

It was also decided that the term 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' was to appear on Pakistani passports by 1958. However, this never happened because in 1958, the country's powerful president, Iskander Mirza, and its army chief, Ayub Khan, imposed martial law for the first time in Pakistani history.

Mirza suspended the constitution, terming it “the peddling of Islam for political gains.” Within the first 20 days of the coup, Ayub ousted Mirza as well and became president in 1959. He changed the name of the country to the Republic of Pakistan.

The first passport issued by the Ayub regime was in 1960. It was light green in colour, symbolising the regime's modernist and moderate view of Islam. It just had 'Pakistan Passport' written on it in English and Urdu. The flags were removed and so was the Bengali translation (which had reappeared in the late 1950s). The contents inside remained the same.

Pakistanis could receive on-arrival-visas in all countries, except the Soviet Union, communist countries in eastern Europe, and Israel. Afghanistan had begun to give on-arrival visas.

The only communist country that gave on-arrival visas to Pakistanis was China. India and Pakistan still had on-arrival-visa policies between them.

The Ayub regime had to issue new passports following criticism

 

[ghazi52]

In 1967, the colour of the passport was changed back to dark green.

The Ayub regime had begun to face harsh criticism from opponents, especially after the 1965 Pakistan-India war had ended in stalemate and the once-booming economy had begun to retract.

Trouble began to brew on the country's streets and campuses, and Bengali nationalists in East Pakistan became more hostile. The passport turned dark green again and, once more, the words 'Pakistan Passport' began appearing in Bengali. The inside contents remained the same.

Pakistanis still enjoyed on-arrival-visa facilities in all the countries, except in communist countries, barring China. However, from 1965 onward, India and Pakistan abolished their long-standing on-arrival-visa policies.

In 1974, the passport became bluish green in colour and the Bengali text disappeared.

This was due to the fact that in December 1971, East Pakistan had broken away to become Bangladesh.

Pakistani passports continued to use Bengali text till the country finally recognised Bangladesh in 1974.
When Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's left-leaning and populist Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) came to power in 1973, it authored and passed the country's third constitution. Even though the new constitution changed the country's name back to Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the new name did not appear on the passport.

The contents inside changed a bit though. Apart from having the holder's name, address, profession, and marital status, a section was added to note the colour of the holder's eyes.

From 1970 onward, the U.S. ended its policy of giving on-arrival-visas to Pakistanis, but the Soviet Union and communist countries began to relax their visa policies towards Pakistan somewhat. Nevertheless, Pakistanis were still able to enjoy on-arrival-visas in most countries.

The new passport came with a new disclaimer


In 1974, the passport also came with the disclaimer that Pakistanis could not use the passport to travel to Israel and South Africa, which was under the apartheid regime at the time.

In 1979, the passport was more or less the same, but the Urdu words 'Pakistan passport' were shifted on top and the English ones pushed down.

In July 1977, a reactionary military coup pulled off by General Zia ul Haq had toppled the Bhutto regime, but the name Islamic Republic of Pakistan had yet to appear on the passports. The contents inside remained the same as they were in 1974.

However, the revived on-arrival-visa policies between Pakistan and Afghanistan were abolished again, mainly due to the communist revolution in Afghanistan in 1978 and the Soviet invasion of that country in 1979.

Barring the communist countries (except for China) and the U.S., Pakistanis could still get on-arrival-visas in most countries.

During Zia's time, the Pakistani passport had an Arabic text in it as well


In 1984, major changes were made to the Pakistani passport.

Zia was still at the helm and had accelerated his so-called Islamisation project. The country's official name, though changed to Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1973, only appeared on the passports for the first time in 1984.

What's more, the word 'Passport' appeared not only in English and Urdu, but also in Arabic!

There were two reasons for this.

Firstly, more and more Pakistanis were going to oil-rich Gulf countries for work. Secondly, Arab cultural and theological influence had been allowed by the regime to seep inside the country’s institutions.

The contents of the new passport inside now had an additional section in which the holder had to declare their faith. Also, they had to sign a declaration that they were not members of the Ahmadiyya community in order to receive the passport. Though the community had been ousted from the fold of Islam by a National Assembly Bill in 1974, a new ordinance in 1984 introduced further restrictions on the community.

In 1983, UK and other major European countries stopped providing on-arrival-visas to Pakistanis. Pakistanis could also not get Afghan visas (and vice-versa), but the visa policies between India and Pakistan were greatly relaxed.

Pakistanis still could not get visas for the Soviet Union and other communist countries easily, but China continued to provide on-arrival-visas.

Soon, the Gulf states changed their policies as well and Pakistanis were required to have pre-arrival visas for the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Libya had already stopped providing on-arrival-visas to Pakistanis in 1980.

The Pakistani passport today


In the early 1990s, a few years after the end of the Zia dictatorship, the passport changed again.

The green became slightly lighter in colour, and the English words 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' were once again pushed up and the Urdu ones pushed down.

The Arabic text were removed, but the section noting the holder's faith remained and so did the declaration denouncing the Ahmadiyya community.

This version of the passport has remained as is till this day, even though the Pervez Musharraf regime (1999-2008) attempted to replace the words 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' with the old 'Republic of Pakistan'. But the attempt failed due to protests by religious parties.

After 9/11, and the rise of religious militancy in Pakistan, more and more countries stopped providing on-arrival-visa facilities to Pakistanis. Pakistanis now require a pre-arrival visa for China as well.

Today, only 29 countries provide on-arrival-visas to Pakistanis, most of whom are in Africa.
According to a 2016 Henley and Partners Visa Restrictions Report, the Pakistani passport's value has been rapidly diminishing in the last two decades and it is now one of the least valuable passports in the world.

Some Pakistani embassies in European countries have started giving out this passport to dual-nationals. It says Islamic Republic in Urdu only


As in 2016, Pakistani embassies in some European countries have begun to provide, to dual-nationals only, Pakistani passports that have 'Pakistan' written on them in English and the words 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' in Urdu only. This cover might gradually be adopted for passports held by all Pakistanis in the future.

..................................................................................................

Nadeem F. Paracha is a cultural critic and senior columnist for Dawn Newspaper and Dawn.com. He has also authored a book on the social history of Pakistan called, End of the Past.
......................................................................

 

[denel]

In South Africa or most neighbouring countries, Pakistan citizens need visas. We have tonnes of illegals from that sub-continent.

 

[django]

In South Africa or most neighbouring countries, Pakistan citizens need visas. We have tonnes of illegals from that sub-continent.

Now I do not know any Pakistani who has applied for a visa in South Africa and which neighbouring countries are magnets for Pakistani citizens...Namibia, Zimbabawe, Angola please do let me know which of these economic powerhouses are Pakistanis dying to make their destination, frankly speaking your drivel can be summed up as sheer hogwash.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Now I do not know any Pakistani who has applied for a visa in South Africa and which neighbouring countries are magnets for Pakistani citizens...Namibia, Zimbabawe, Angola please do let me know which of these economic powerhouses are Pakistanis dying to make their destination, frankly speaking your drivel can be summed up as sheer hogwash.

Yes. I agree. Pakistani's head for Europe/USA.

We have tonnes of illegals from that sub-continent.

What he means but avoids saying is "Indians". South Africa is full of Indians.

 

[denel]

Now I do not know any Pakistani who has applied for a visa in South Africa and which neighbouring countries are magnets for Pakistani citizens...Namibia, Zimbabawe, Angola please do let me know which of these economic powerhouses are Pakistanis dying to make their destination, frankly speaking your drivel can be summed up as sheer hogwash.

Pal... come here and see for your self as to the tonnes of your country men on the streets selling stuff. Human trafficking.
Lot of problems and gangs they have; they have even murdered your own countrymen here in neighbouring cities. Then they steal ID numbers and forge marriage papers and try to get local residency.... there are tonnes of stories.
Hogwash ... come here. i will give you a hog to handle.
Angola ... they will deny any visa to any one from the subcontinent or north africa.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Pal... come here and see for your self

Pal, plenty of your country men in Pakistan flogging drugs .. come and see for your self.

Ps. South Africa is full of Indians. Repeat Indians. Ever since Gandhi's trip there, they have love affair with SA.

 

[untitled]

If I remember correctly there was a time when the Passport had a page containing the list of all countries for which it was valid for. That was before the Israel line was added

Now I do not know any Pakistani who has applied for a visa in South Africa .....

He may not be entirely wrong. We all know the case of Imran Tahir. But of course he went there legally.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

He may not be entirely wrong

Well there are Pakistani's everywhere. There are South African's everywhere including Pakistan but this guy was suggesting South Africa is major attraction for Pakistani's. It is not. There are however huge number of Indian's in South Africa and the surrounding countries.

And as historical note on passports what do you think was nationality (note nationality) of Pakistan Passport holders prior to 1947? Can you guess?

 

[django]

Pal... come here and see for your self as to the tonnes of your country men on the streets selling stuff. Human trafficking.
Lot of problems and gangs they have; they have even murdered your own countrymen here in neighbouring cities. Then they steal ID numbers and forge marriage papers and try to get local residency.... there are tonnes of stories.
Hogwash ... come here. i will give you a hog to handle.
Angola ... they will deny any visa to any one from the subcontinent or north africa.

Those must be folk of Gujrati hindian ancestry, we can easily distinguish ourselves from them though I doubt you could, perhaps a visit to a decent optometrist may help , the only illegal migrants in your SA are Nigerians, Zimbabweans etc once again with your drivel you have shown what little knowledge you have of Pakistan and it's people.Totseens

He may not be entirely wrong. We all know the case of Imran Tahir. But of course he went there legally.

Their may be the odd exception and in the case of Tahir he was simply not good enough to represent Pakistan so he decided to fall in love with an SA girl who @denel once again was of Hindian Gujrati descent, his marriage entitled him to the necessary paperwork.Kudos

 

[mdcp]

In South Africa or most neighbouring countries, Pakistan citizens need visas. We have tonnes of illegals from that sub-continent.

During Apartheid Pakistanis were not allowed to travel to South Africa because we boycotted inhumane brutality. First of Pakistanis landed in South Africa were doctors.

You are right some of Pakistanis were involve in crimes and very few still doing but why your corrupt system not punishing them.

 

[denel]

Yes. I agree. Pakistani's head for Europe/USA.


What he means but avoids saying is "Indians". South Africa is full of Indians.

During Apartheid Pakistanis were not allowed to travel to South Africa because we boycotted inhumane brutality. First of Pakistanis landed in South Africa were doctors.

You are right some of Pakistanis were involve in crimes and very few still doing but why your corrupt system not punishing them.

yes ... we had several who came first were mostly professionals. We still have some around my area in hospitals. But then as our system became corrupt we had influx via mozambique via human traffickers. The stories these people will tell you is rough. Regretfully now, it is mostly rubbish and 3rd rate swiddlers and our police is corrupted hence no action.
That is why we have so many people taking law into their own hands and going after these people.. somalis, nigerians, banglas... we have been overrun; we have close to 3mil illegals.

 

[LA se Karachi]

In 1967, the colour of the passport was changed back to dark green.

The Ayub regime had begun to face harsh criticism from opponents, especially after the 1965 Pakistan-India war had ended in stalemate and the once-booming economy had begun to retract.

Trouble began to brew on the country's streets and campuses, and Bengali nationalists in East Pakistan became more hostile. The passport turned dark green again and, once more, the words 'Pakistan Passport' began appearing in Bengali. The inside contents remained the same.

Pakistanis still enjoyed on-arrival-visa facilities in all the countries, except in communist countries, barring China. However, from 1965 onward, India and Pakistan abolished their long-standing on-arrival-visa policies.

In 1974, the passport became bluish green in colour and the Bengali text disappeared.

This was due to the fact that in December 1971, East Pakistan had broken away to become Bangladesh.

Pakistani passports continued to use Bengali text till the country finally recognised Bangladesh in 1974.
When Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's left-leaning and populist Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) came to power in 1973, it authored and passed the country's third constitution. Even though the new constitution changed the country's name back to Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the new name did not appear on the passport.

The contents inside changed a bit though. Apart from having the holder's name, address, profession, and marital status, a section was added to note the colour of the holder's eyes.

From 1970 onward, the U.S. ended its policy of giving on-arrival-visas to Pakistanis, but the Soviet Union and communist countries began to relax their visa policies towards Pakistan somewhat. Nevertheless, Pakistanis were still able to enjoy on-arrival-visas in most countries.

The new passport came with a new disclaimer


In 1974, the passport also came with the disclaimer that Pakistanis could not use the passport to travel to Israel and South Africa, which was under the apartheid regime at the time.

In 1979, the passport was more or less the same, but the Urdu words 'Pakistan passport' were shifted on top and the English ones pushed down.

In July 1977, a reactionary military coup pulled off by General Zia ul Haq had toppled the Bhutto regime, but the name Islamic Republic of Pakistan had yet to appear on the passports. The contents inside remained the same as they were in 1974.

However, the revived on-arrival-visa policies between Pakistan and Afghanistan were abolished again, mainly due to the communist revolution in Afghanistan in 1978 and the Soviet invasion of that country in 1979.

Barring the communist countries (except for China) and the U.S., Pakistanis could still get on-arrival-visas in most countries.

During Zia's time, the Pakistani passport had an Arabic text in it as well


In 1984, major changes were made to the Pakistani passport.

Zia was still at the helm and had accelerated his so-called Islamisation project. The country's official name, though changed to Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1973, only appeared on the passports for the first time in 1984.

What's more, the word 'Passport' appeared not only in English and Urdu, but also in Arabic!

There were two reasons for this.

Firstly, more and more Pakistanis were going to oil-rich Gulf countries for work. Secondly, Arab cultural and theological influence had been allowed by the regime to seep inside the country’s institutions.

The contents of the new passport inside now had an additional section in which the holder had to declare their faith. Also, they had to sign a declaration that they were not members of the Ahmadiyya community in order to receive the passport. Though the community had been ousted from the fold of Islam by a National Assembly Bill in 1974, a new ordinance in 1984 introduced further restrictions on the community.

In 1983, UK and other major European countries stopped providing on-arrival-visas to Pakistanis. Pakistanis could also not get Afghan visas (and vice-versa), but the visa policies between India and Pakistan were greatly relaxed.

Pakistanis still could not get visas for the Soviet Union and other communist countries easily, but China continued to provide on-arrival-visas.

Soon, the Gulf states changed their policies as well and Pakistanis were required to have pre-arrival visas for the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Libya had already stopped providing on-arrival-visas to Pakistanis in 1980.

The Pakistani passport today


In the early 1990s, a few years after the end of the Zia dictatorship, the passport changed again.

The green became slightly lighter in colour, and the English words 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' were once again pushed up and the Urdu ones pushed down.

The Arabic text were removed, but the section noting the holder's faith remained and so did the declaration denouncing the Ahmadiyya community.

This version of the passport has remained as is till this day, even though the Pervez Musharraf regime (1999-2008) attempted to replace the words 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' with the old 'Republic of Pakistan'. But the attempt failed due to protests by religious parties.

After 9/11, and the rise of religious militancy in Pakistan, more and more countries stopped providing on-arrival-visa facilities to Pakistanis. Pakistanis now require a pre-arrival visa for China as well.

Today, only 29 countries provide on-arrival-visas to Pakistanis, most of whom are in Africa.
According to a 2016 Henley and Partners Visa Restrictions Report, the Pakistani passport's value has been rapidly diminishing in the last two decades and it is now one of the least valuable passports in the world.

Some Pakistani embassies in European countries have started giving out this passport to dual-nationals. It says Islamic Republic in Urdu only


As in 2016, Pakistani embassies in some European countries have begun to provide, to dual-nationals only, Pakistani passports that have 'Pakistan' written on them in English and the words 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' in Urdu only. This cover might gradually be adopted for passports held by all Pakistanis in the future.

..................................................................................................

Nadeem F. Paracha is a cultural critic and senior columnist for Dawn Newspaper and Dawn.com. He has also authored a book on the social history of Pakistan called, End of the Past.
......................................................................

The dark green shade on the Pakistani flag has always been the best looking color for all things officially Pakistani to me. I like the way the current passport looks.

 

[Shahzaz ud din]

Pakistani passport
The Pakistani passport (Urdu: پاکستانی پاسپورٹ‬‎) is issued to citizens of Pakistan for the purpose of international travel. The Directorate General of Immigration & Passports of the Ministry of Interior[1] is responsible for issuing passports. Pakistan's machine-readable and biometric passports are currently being issued from regional passport offices and Pakistani embassies. Pakistani passport holders are eligible to visit 32 countries without a visa, or with visa on arrival.
Pakistani passport

Current Pakistani passport. (Areas containing personal information are grayed out.)
Issued by

Pakistan
Type of document Passport
Purpose Identification
Eligibility requirements Pakistani citizenship
Expiration 5 and 10 Years
Cost ₨3000 (US$28) - 5 Years Validity
₨5400 (US$51)- 10 Years Validity


In 2004, Pakistan became one of the first countries in the world to issue the biometric passports, which are, according to the publisher, compliant with ICAOstandards and dubbed Multi-biometric e-Passports.[2] They do not carry the "chip inside" symbol (), which is mandatory for ICAO-standard electronic passports.,[3] however Ministry of Interior is planning to start issuing E-Passport in coming years to Pakistani citizens. As of 2012, Pakistan has adopted the Multi-biometric e-Passport that is now compliant with ICAO standards.[4]According to the Interior Minister, the biometric passports will be introduced in 2017.[5] The passports are printed in a centralized passport personalization facility established within the premises of Directorate General of Immigration and Passports Headquarters in the Federal capital of Islamabad.[6] Since January 2014, passports are being issued with 5 and 10 years validity.[7]

History[edit]
Under British Raj[edit]

British Indian passport issued during the colonial days when Pakistan was not formed but constituted a part of India (and for some years after partition)

Muhammad Ali Jinnah's passport issued by the British Indian Empire.
The British Indian passportwas issued to the British subjects of British Indian Empire, British subjects from other parts of the British Empire, and the subjects of the British protected states in India (i. e. the British Protected Persons of the 'princely states').[8] The use of passports was introduced to British Indiaafter the First World War.[9] The Indian Passport Act of 1920 required the use of passports, established controls on the foreign travel of Indians, foreigners travelling to and within India.[10] The passport was based on the format agreed upon by 1920 League of Nations International Conference on Passports.[11] However, the British Indian passport had very limited usage, being valid for travel only within the British Empire, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Sweden and Holland.[12]

The use of the passport was discontinued after the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, and its bearers were entitled to opt for Indian, Pakistani or British nationality.Passport regime only started between the two countries from 1952. Citizens of both India and Pakistan did not need a visa or were issued one on arrival till the Second Kashmir War. Before the war, citizens of both countries could freely travel to each other's countries, despite the fact that both had gone to war in 1947 over the princely state of Kashmir.[13]


Joint India-Pakistan passport issued to migrants to enable them to visit family, friends and ancestral homes located on the other side of the Radcliffe line


The cover of the First Pakistani passport in 1947
Issued in late 1947, the cover of Pakistan’s first passport was largely beige in colour and only partially green. It had 'Pakistan Passport' written in three languages: English, Bengali, and Urdu. It had two Pakistan flags, one symbolising West Pakistan and the other East Pakistan. Inside, there was the holder's name, address, profession, photo, and marital status. Pakistanis did not require pre-arrival visas and could get visas-on-arrival in any country they wished to travel, including India.[14]

1950s[edit]

The West Pakistani passport in 1954
By 1954, the colour green had ousted the beige. The two flags were still there, but the holder's name now appeared on the cover. Due to tensions between the state and the Bengali majority of East Pakistan, the government had introduced the One Unit scheme, which treated the ethnically diverse West Pakistan as a single province and the Bengali-dominated East Pakistan as the other province. Consequently, West Pakistani passports (like the one in the picture) had 'Pakistan Passport' written only in English and Urdu, whereas East Pakistani passports had the same written in English and Bengali. This was soon changed, but the rest of the contents remained the same: holder's name, photo, address, profession, and marital status. Pakistanis could still get on-arrival-visas in most countries, except Israel, the Soviet Union and Afghanistan – countries that Pakistan had developed strained relations with. However, India and Pakistan were still issuing on-arrival-visas to one another despite the fact that both had gone to war in 1948.[14]

The dark green passport lasted till 1960. In 1956, when the Constituent Assemblyauthored and passed the country's first constitution, it declared Pakistan an Islamic republic. It was also decided that the term 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' was to appear on Pakistani passports by 1958. However, this never happened because in 1958, the country's powerful president, Iskander Mirza, and its army chief, Ayub Khan, imposed martial law for the first time in Pakistani history. Mirza suspended the constitution, terming it “the peddling of Islam for political gains.” Within the first 20 days of the coup, Ayub ousted Mirza as well and became president in 1959. He changed the name of the country to the Republic of Pakistan.[14]

1960s[edit]

Pakistani passport during Ayub's era
The first passport issued by the Ayub regime was in 1960. It was light green in colour, symbolising the regime's modernist and moderate view of Islam. It just had 'Pakistan Passport' written on it in English and Urdu. The flags were removed and so was the Bengali translation (which had reappeared in the late 1950s). The contents inside remained the same. Pakistanis could receive on-arrival-visas in all countries, except the Soviet Union, communist countries in eastern Europe, and Israel. Afghanistan had begun to give on-arrival visas. The only communist country that gave on-arrival visas to Pakistanis was China. India and Pakistan still had on-arrival-visa policies between them.[14]

In 1967, the colour of the passport was changed back to dark green. The Ayub regime had begun to face harsh criticism from opponents, especially after the 1965 Indo-Pakistani war had ended in stalemate and the once-booming economy had begun to retract. Trouble began to brew on the country's streets and campuses, and Bengali nationalists in East Pakistan became more hostile. The passport turned dark green again and, once more, the words 'Pakistan Passport' began appearing in Bengali. The inside contents remained the same. Pakistanis still enjoyed on-arrival-visa facilities in all the countries, except in communist countries, barring China. However, from 1965 onward, India and Pakistan abolished their long-standing on-arrival-visa policies.[14]

1970s[edit]
In 1974, the passport became bluish green in colour and the Bengali text disappeared after Pakistan recognised Bangladesh. This was due to the fact that in December 1971, East Pakistan had seceded to become Bangladesh. When Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's left-leaning and populist Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) came to power in 1973, it authored and passed the country's third constitution. Even though the new constitution changed the country's name back to Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the new name did not appear on the passport. The contents inside changed a bit though. Apart from having the holder's name, address, profession, and marital status, a section was added to note the colour of the holder's eyes. From 1970 onward, the U.S. ended its policy of giving on-arrival-visas to Pakistanis, but the Soviet Union and communist countries began to relax their visa policies towards Pakistan somewhat. Nevertheless, Pakistanis were still able to enjoy on-arrival-visas in most countries.[14]

In 1974, the passport also came with the disclaimer that Pakistanis could not use the passport to travel to Israel and South Africa, which was under the apartheid regime at the time. In 1979, the passport was more or less the same, but the Urdu words 'Pakistan passport' were shifted on top and the English ones pushed down. In July 1977, a reactionary military couppulled off by General Zia-ul-Haq had toppled the Bhutto regime, but the name Islamic Republic of Pakistan had yet to appear on the passports. The contents inside remained the same as they were in 1974. However, the revived on-arrival-visa policies between Pakistan and Afghanistan were abolished again, mainly due to the communist revolution in Afghanistan in 1978 and the Soviet invasion of that country in 1979. Barring the communist countries (except for China) and the U.S., Pakistanis could still get on-arrival-visas in most countries.[14]

1980s[edit]
In 1984, major changes were made to the Pakistani passport. Zia was still at the helm and had accelerated hisIslamization. The country's official name, though changed to Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1973, only appeared on the passports for the first time in 1984. The word 'Passport', in addition to English and Urdu, also appeared in Arabic. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, more and more Pakistanis were going to oil-rich Gulf countries for work. Secondly, Arab cultural and theological influence had been allowed by the regime to seep inside the country’s institutions. The contents of the new passport inside now had an additional section in which the holder had to declare their faith. Also, they had to sign a declaration that they were not members of the Ahmadiyya community in order to receive the passport. Though the community had been ousted from the fold of Islam by a National Assembly Bill in 1974, a new ordinance in 1984 introduced further restrictions on the community. In 1983, UK and other major European countries stopped providing on-arrival-visas to Pakistanis. Pakistanis could also not get Afghan visas (and vice versa), but the visa policies between India and Pakistan were greatly relaxed. Pakistanis still could not get visas for the Soviet Union and other communist countries easily, but China continued to provide on-arrival-visas. Soon, the Gulf states changed their policies as well and Pakistanis were required to have pre-arrival visas for the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Libya had already stopped providing on-arrival-visas to Pakistanis in 1980.[14]

1990s–present[edit]

The Pakistani passport today
In the early 1990s, a few years after the end of the Zia dictatorship, the passport changed again. The green became slightly lighter in colour, and the English words 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' were once again pushed up and the Urdu ones pushed down. The Arabic text was removed, but the section noting the holder's faith remained and so did the declaration denouncing the Ahmadiyya community. This version of the passport has remained as is till this day, even though the Pervez Musharraf regime (1999-2008) attempted to replace the words 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' with the old 'Republic of Pakistan'. But the attempt failed due to protests by religious parties. After 9/11, and the rise of religious militancy in Pakistan, more and more countries stopped providing on-arrival-visa facilities to Pakistanis. Pakistanis now require a pre-arrival visa for China as well. According to a 2016 Henley and Partners Visa Restrictions Report, the Pakistani passport's value has been rapidly diminishing in the last two decades and it is now one of the least valuable passports in the world.[14]

As of 2016, Pakistani embassies in some European countries have begun to provide, to dual-nationals only, Pakistani passports that have 'Pakistan' written on them in English and the words 'Islamic Republic of Pakistan' in Urdu only. This cover might gradually be adopted for passports held by all Pakistanis in the future.[14]


Visa requirements for holders of regular Pakistani passports
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Visa free access
Visa issued upon arrival
Electronic authorization or eVisa required
Visa available both on arrival or online
Visa required prior to arrival
Types[edit]
The passports are printed by the governmental agency DGIP. The Passport Act, 1974 and Passport and Visa Manual 1974 regulate the issuance of passports. There are three types of passports being issued in Pakistan:[15]

• Diplomatic Passport
• Official Passport
• Ordinary Passport

Diplomatic passports are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to diplomats and other entitled categories in pursuance of Para-45 of Passport & Visa Manual, 2006.[16]

Official passports are issued to Senators, Members of the National Assembly, provincial ministers, judges of the supreme/high courts, officers serving with the governments when abroad on official assignments etc.The color outer cover of official passport of Pakistan is blue instead of green. (Para-9 of the Passport & Visa Manual, 2006)

A special Hajj passport was formerly issued to those making a hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. They are however no longer issued, as ordinary passports may be utilised for the Hajj pilgrimage.

 

[ghazi52]

Biometric ePassports

Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has announced that the Directorate of Immigration and Passport (I&P) will start issuing E-Passports next year from March 2018. The minister was addressing the inaugural ceremony of e-passport at the Interior Ministry, Islamabad.

An agreement was signed between Director General I&P Usman Bajwa and representative of French company Gemalto for preparation of E-Passports at the Ministry of Interior. The French company has been declared successful in the tender issued for E-Passport project.


Addressing the signing ceremony, Ahsan Iqbal said that E-Passports will first be issued for diplomats and officials in March 2018 and then will be available for citizens from June 2018. “This step will improve image of Pakistani passport across the world,” he remarked.

The minister stated that the Interior Ministry had taken several measures during the last two years to improve the passport system, by issuance of online passports, mobile payments and executive passports.

It is worth mentioning that the former Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had approved the introduction of E-Passports last year. The project was supposed to be fully operational by the current year, but questions had been raised regarding transparency of procurement process which resulted in its delay.

Not to mention that an E-Passport is a biometric passport that has an embedded electronic microprocessor chip containing biometric information that can be used to authenticate the identity of passport holder or traveller.

It is believed that the E-Passport will help in providing protection against identity theft and to protect the personal privacy of a traveller. This E-Passport would ensure safe and secure travel and faster immigration process.