Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Canada&rsquo;s national police service has said that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, notorious for assassinations and extortion in India, has been operating in the country and &ldquo;acting on behalf of the Indian government,&rdquo; reports Canadian outlet Global News, quoting a police document. The undated three-page report references alleged ties between the gang and the Indian government six times.&nbsp; According to the report, the group has continued expanding its footprint in Canada despite being listed by Canadian authorities as a terrorist entity, India Today reported. Terrorist entitiesCanada announced on Sept. 29, 2025, that it had added the Bishnoi Gang to its list of terrorist entities under the Criminal Code, a move that allows broader tools to disrupt financing and seize assets. It accused the syndicate of possible involvement in the murder of prominent Sikh activist and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver, AFP reported. Nijjar, who had advocated for a separate Sikh state in India, was shot dead in a parking lot in 2023. Following the incident, the Canadian police had alleged that members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s government worked with the Bishnoi Group to target Sikh activists in Canada, AFP reported.

India

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has been operating in the country, acting on behalf of the Indian government, according to an internal Royal Canadian Mounted Police document seen by Canadian news outlet Global News.

Canadian police link Bishnoi gang’s operations to Indian government: Reports

ISLAMABAD: More than half a million Pakistani workers and professionals migrated to Saudi Arabia in 2025 in search of improved employment and living opportunities, according to official data released by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE).&nbsp;The data shows that 530,256 Pakistanis moved to various cities across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during 2025, up from 452,562 in the previous year. This marks a year-on-year increase of 17%, translating into nearly 78,000 additional workers.&nbsp;Since 1972, approximately 7.69 million Pakistani workers have migrated to Saudi Arabia, underscoring the Kingdom&rsquo;s long-standing position as Pakistan&rsquo;s largest destination for overseas employment.&nbsp;According to official figures, Pakistan&rsquo;s total manpower exports to various countries stood at 762,499 in 2025, with Saudi Arabia absorbing 69.5% of the total, up from 62% a year earlier. The growing Pakistani workforce in Saudi Arabia has also translated into&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-remittances-rise-9-to-319b-yoy-in-nov-reach-161b-in-5mfy26" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">higher remittance inflows</a>. According to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data, overseas Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia remitted $813 million in December 2025 alone &mdash; the highest among all host countries. The figure was 6% higher every year and 8% above the $753 million sent in November.

international departure of Pakistan's Jinnah International Airport, Karachi

Foreign Affairs

The data shows that 530,256 Pakistanis moved to various cities across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during 2025, up from 452,562 in the previous year.

Saudi Arabia remains top destination for Pakistani workers in 2025

Web Desk/AFP

WASHINGTON: A US federal immigration agent shot a man in Minneapolis, city officials said, urging the public to &quot;remain calm&quot; a week after agents shot and killed an American woman in the same city. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O&#39;Hara said the shooting resulted from a struggle in front of a residence between a man and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/who-was-renee-nicole-good-the-woman-killed-by-us-immigration-police" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">ICE</a>) agent on the north side of the city Wednesday evening. &quot;During the struggle, the federal agent discharged his weapon, striking one adult male,&quot; O&#39;Hara told reporters at a press conference. The man suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his leg and was transported to a hospital for treatment, officials said. The shooting marked the second time in a week an ICE agent had shot someone in Minneapolis, with the previous shooting resulting in the death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good on January 7, sparking ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/anger-over-minneapolis-shooting-probe-fuels-protests" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">protests</a>&nbsp;against the presence of federal agents in the northern US city. &quot;We understand there is anger,&quot; officials wrote on the midwestern city&#39;s X account, adding that &quot;the City of Minneapolis again demands that ICE leave the city and the state immediately.&quot; O&#39;Hara said Wednesday&#39;s shooting generated a crowd of protesters around where it happened, with some throwing fireworks at officers. &#39;This is not sustainable&#39; <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/afghan-national-arrested-near-dc-for-isisk-support-homeland-security" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Department of Homeland Security</a>&nbsp;officials confirmed the shooting in a post on X, saying &quot;an illegal alien from Venezuela&quot; was targeted for a traffic stop and resisted arrest. &quot;While the subject and law enforcement were in a struggle on the ground, two subjects came out of a nearby apartment and also attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle,&quot; DHS said. The officer then &quot;fired a defensive shot to defend his life,&quot; hitting the initial subject in the leg. Elected officials in Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota have decried the actions of Department of Homeland Security agents, including those with ICE. &quot;This is not sustainable,&quot; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters, adding: &quot;We have ICE agents throughout our city and throughout our state who, along with Border Patrol, are creating chaos.&quot; &quot;This is not the path that we should be on right now in America.&quot; In a video posted to social media earlier Wednesday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz decried &quot;the chaos, disruption and trauma the federal government is raining down on our community,&quot; describing door-to-door interrogations by &quot;armed, masked, undertrained&quot; ICE agents. The Democrat said federal immigration authorities have deployed thousands of agents to Minnesota and were carrying out enforcement operations he said are disrupting communities and affecting residents, including US citizens. Walz described the actions as excessive and politically motivated, criticized the federal government&rsquo;s response to a recent death during an operation, and cited the resignation of several federal prosecutors as raising constitutional concerns. He urged residents to protest peacefully, document enforcement activity, and pursue accountability through the courts and elections, while reaffirming Minnesota&rsquo;s commitment to the rule of law and civil rights. Detention reaches record levels According to the Department of Homeland Security&rsquo;s (DHS) 2025 Year in Review, the administration reported more than 622,000 removals from the United States between Jan. 20, 2025, and late 2025. DHS also said more than 2 million people left the country voluntarily under &ldquo;Project Homecoming,&rdquo; which encouraged self-deportation through incentives and a self-reporting feature on the CBP Home app. It also reported a sharp increase in interior enforcement, including more than 10,000 arrests in the Los Angeles area since June 2025 and more than 4,500 arrests during an operation known as &ldquo;Operation Midway Blitz.&rdquo; In Minnesota, DHS said more than 1,360 people were targeted for arrest detainers during &ldquo;Operation Metro Surge,&rdquo; while a separate initiative, &ldquo;Operation Tidal Wave,&rdquo; resulted in 1,100 arrests in six days. DHS reported arrests this month of individuals it identified as suspected gang members and people with prior violent crime convictions. Meanwhile, ICE detention data current as of early January 2026 shows the detained population reached a record high of 68,990 people held in 212 facilities nationwide. ICE reported an average of 1,220 arrests per day in December 2025, with the daily rate falling to 315 arrests during the first week of January, which the agency attributed to a seasonal slowdown. ICE said it was monitoring more than 180,000 people through alternatives to detention programs, including a record number using GPS ankle monitors. Independent analyses from the American Immigration Council said the detention population continued to climb toward 70,000 by mid-January. Data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse shows Texas held the largest number of ICE detainees, with nearly 18,000, followed by Louisiana and California. TRAC also reported ICE expanded its detention network significantly in 2025, using 104 more facilities by the end of the year than at the start, nearly doubling its total capacity.

Americas

The shooting comes amid record ICE detentions of nearly 69,000 people, thousands of arrests nationwide, and rising protests in Minnesota.

US: ICE agent shoots Venezuelan man amid record immigration enforcement

ISTANBUL:&nbsp;Turkey on Thursday said it opposes a military operation against Iran as US President Donald Trump had repeatedly talked about &quot;coming to the aid&quot; of the Iranian people over the crackdown on protests. &quot;We&#39;re against a military operation against Iran. We believe the authentic problems of Iran should be resolved by themselves,&quot; Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in Istanbul, adding that Iran&#39;s economic grievances were &quot;misunderstood as an uprising against&quot; the Islamic Republic. &#39;Resolve with dialogue&#39;Fidan also called for dialogue on the crisis in Iran. &quot;We absolutely want problems to be resolved through dialogue,&quot; he told journalists.&nbsp; &quot;Hopefully, the United States and Iran will resolve this issue among themselves -- whether through mediators, other actors, or direct dialogue. We are closely following these developments.&quot;

Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan addresses the audience during a press briefing in Istanbul, on January 15, 2026. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)

Europe

Middle East

The country opposed any military action against Iran and called for dialogue to resolve the crisis, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in Istanbul.

Turkey opposes military operations against Iran: FM Fidan

ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday issued a cold wave alert for Gilgit-Baltistan, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, warning of extremely low temperatures and heavy snowfall over the coming days.&nbsp;According to the National Emergencies Operations Centre (NEOC), very cold to extremely cold conditions are expected to prevail, particularly during nighttime and early morning hours, while daytime temperatures are likely to remain below normal.&nbsp;The forecast indicates moderate to heavy snowfall in <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/more-than-75000-domestic-tourists-visit-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-during-new-years" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">high-altitude and hilly areas</a>, which could disrupt road connectivity, transportation, and power supply in mountainous regions. NDMA warned that the prevailing conditions may increase the risk of snow slides and avalanches at vulnerable locations, posing threats to human lives, infrastructure, and livestock.&nbsp;Adjoining plains are expected to experience&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/cold-wave-grips-pakistan-fog-and-freezing-temperatures-set-to-intensify" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(44, 130, 201);" rel="noopener noreferrer">cold</a><a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/cold-wave-grips-pakistan-fog-and-freezing-temperatures-set-to-intensify" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(44, 130, 201);">, dry weather</a>, with frost in isolated areas. The authority cautioned that prolonged exposure to extreme cold may increase health risks, especially for children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing medical conditions. Frost could also damage standing crops and orchards in nearby plain areas.&nbsp;NDMA advised the public to avoid non-essential travel to high-altitude and snowfall-prone areas and urged travelers to use snow chains where travel is unavoidable. Citizens were also asked to make adequate arrangements for heating, <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/volunteers-bring-winter-relief-to-islamabads-daily-wage-workers" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">warm clothing and shelter</a>, with special attention to vulnerable populations.&nbsp;The authority directed provincial and district administrations to remain on high alert and ensure preparedness for snow-clearance operations, emergency response, and the timely restoration of essential services, including electricity and communications.&nbsp;NDMA said it would continue to monitor the situation through NEOC and issue further updates as required. The public has been advised to rely on official information disseminated through television, radio, verified social media platforms, and the &ldquo;Pak NDMA Disaster Alert&rdquo; mobile application.

Climate & Environment

The National Disaster Management Authority warns of an increased risk of snow slides and avalanches at vulnerable locations, posing a threat to human lives, infrastructure, and livestock.

Pakistan issues cold wave alert for northern regions

HONG KONG: Oil slid Thursday after US President Donald Trump appeared to dial down threats of imminent military action on Iran, while Asian markets were mixed after Wall Street edged lower the previous day. Oil prices dropped three percent after Trump said Wednesday, he would &quot;watch it and see&quot; on possible intervention in the Islamic republic, after he said he was told the killings of protesters there had stopped. Crude prices had surged over recent days as Trump talked about coming to the aid of the Iranian people over the crackdown on demonstrations, sparking concerns over possible disruption to global supplies. Extreme volatilitySilver plunged as much as seven percent after hitting a record high above $93.75 an ounce, after Trump held off slapping tariffs on critical minerals. Gold also dipped. &quot;The swings in commodities highlight the extreme volatility being fed by President Trump&#39;s mercurial policy style,&quot; said Garfield Reynolds, Markets Live Asia Team Leader at Bloomberg. But &quot;so far the declines for raw materials are still too small to seriously dent this year&#39;s substantial rallies&quot;, he said. &quot;There&#39;s plenty of potential that investors will be itching to pile back into commodities assets given how often they&#39;ve bounced back to fresh highs following occasional corrections in recent weeks,&quot; Reynolds added. Tokyo was down 0.4 percent at the close, cooling off after gains fueled by speculation that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi would call an election to capitalize on strong public approval ratings. Takaichi&#39;s ruling party and a coalition partner said Wednesday she intends to dissolve parliament next week for a snap election, seen as a chance to push through her ambitious policy agenda. Sydney, Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila and Singapore posted gains, while Wellington, Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur were down. Shanghai and Hong Kong closed 0.3 percent down and Taipei ended 0.4 percent lower. After the closing bell, Taiwanese chipmaking titan TSMC said net profit for the fourth quarter jumped 35 percent year-on-year, beating forecasts as demand for artificial intelligence skyrockets. London opened on a 0.1 percent high as official data showed Britain&#39;s economy grew more than expected in November. South Korean won slides&nbsp;Traders were also watching South Korea -- with Seoul up 1.5 percent -- as the won&#39;s exchange rate slid towards its weakest level in 16 years. In a rare mention, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the won&#39;s depreciation was &quot;not in line with Korea&#39;s strong economic fundamentals&quot; and that volatility in the foreign exchange market is &quot;undesirable&quot;. The won gained as much as one percent after Bessent&#39;s comments, which he posted on social media after meeting Seoul&#39;s finance minister Koo Yun-cheol in Washington. &quot;Bessent&#39;s comments can support the won in the near term, but markets may have more influence if they feel the fundamentals and politics are still in a worsening trajectory,&quot; said Brendan McKenna, a strategist at Wells Fargo in New York. The mixed picture in Asia came after Wall Street stocks fell again Wednesday as investors shrugged off solid bank earnings and an increase in retail sales in November. Analysts noted investor unease about possible US interventions in Iran and Greenland, and Trump&#39;s threats to Federal Reserve autonomy, most recently in the Department of Justice&#39;s criminal probe of the central bank. Key figures at around 0800 GMT&nbsp;Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.4% at 54,110.50 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.3% at 26,924.24 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.3% at 4,112.60 (close) West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.4% at $59.94 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 3.4% at $64.23 per barrel Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1630 from $1.1647 on Wednesday Pound/dollar: FLAT at $1.3433 Dollar/yen: FLAT at 158.56 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.58 pence from 86.68 pence New York - Dow: DOWN 0.1% at 49,149.63 points (close) London - UP 0.1% at 10,197.73

Business

Oil prices drop three percent after Trump said Wednesday, he would ‘watch it and see’ on possible intervention in the Islamic republic, after he said he was told the killings of protesters there had stopped.

Oil plunges after Trump's Iran comments, Asian markets mixed

WASHINGTON: Four International Space Station (ISS) crew members splashed down in the Pacific Ocean early Thursday, video footage from NASA showed, after a medical issue prompted their mission to be cut short. The SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the four crew members --&nbsp;American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui -- landed off the coast of San Diego about 12:41 a.m. (0841 GMT), marking the first-ever medical evacuation from the ISS. First-ever medical evacuationThe US space agency has declined to disclose which&nbsp;crew member has the health problem or provide details about the issue, but it has stressed that the return is not an <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/nasa-to-bring-spacex-crew11-back-early-over-medical-concern" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">emergency</a>. The affected crew member &ldquo;was and continues to be in stable condition,&rdquo; NASA official Rob Navias said Wednesday. &ldquo;First and foremost, we are all OK. Everyone on board is stable, safe and well cared for,&rdquo; Fincke, the pilot of SpaceX Crew-11, said previously on social media. &ldquo;This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists. It&rsquo;s the right call, even if it&rsquo;s a bit bittersweet,&rdquo; he added in a post this week. The Crew-11 quartet arrived at the ISS in early August and had been scheduled to stay on board until they were rotated out in mid-February with the arrival of the next crew. James Polk, NASA&rsquo;s chief health and medical officer, said &ldquo;lingering risk&rdquo; and a &ldquo;lingering question as to what that diagnosis is&rdquo; led to the decision to bring back the crew earlier than originally scheduled. American astronaut Chris Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, who arrived at the station in November aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, remained on the ISS. The Russian Roscosmos space agency operates alongside NASA on the outpost, and the two agencies take turns transporting a citizen of the other country to and from the orbiter &mdash; one of the few areas of bilateral cooperation that still endures between the United States and Russia.

This screengrab taken from NASA+ livestream shows the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft with parachutes deployed before splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, on January 14, 2026, carrying NASA astronauts Mike Finck

Gadgets

Four International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers splashed down in the Pacific Ocean early Thursday, video footage from NASA showed, after a medical issue prompted their mission to be cut short.

NASA video: International Space Station crew returns to Earth after medical evacuation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan condemned Israel&#39;s recognition of Somaliland as &quot;political aggression&quot; and called on Muslim-majority nations to intensify efforts on resolving the Kashmir and Palestine issues, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tahir Andrabi, said Thursday. Briefing reporters on the week&#39;s diplomatic activities, Andrabi said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar led Pakistan&#39;s <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/oic-adopts-resolutions-condemning-israel-backing-somalia-and-palestine" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">condemnation&nbsp;</a>at the 22nd Extraordinary Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 640px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2011687834445603239&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F3489%2F&sessionId=2f6394d1ab89f25036544551f8bb6f578a0aa860&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2011687834445603239"></iframe></div></div> Dar &quot;strongly condemned the illegal and unlawful <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/somalia-calls-israeli-fm-visit-to-somaliland-an-incursion" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">recognition by Israel</a> of the Somaliland region, as well as subsequent unwarranted and highly provocative visits of Israeli officials to the territory,&quot; the spokesman said. The foreign minister called such acts &quot;political aggression and a direct assault on Somalia&#39;s internationally recognized borders, setting a perilous precedent and threatening peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea region, and beyond,&quot; Andrabi said. Kashmir, Palestine positions At the conference, Dar &quot;rejected any proposal for dislocation of the Palestinian people&quot; and reaffirmed Pakistan&#39;s commitment to &quot;an independent, contiguous, and sovereign state of Palestine based on the 1967 borders with [Jerusalem]&nbsp;as its capital,&quot; the spokesman said. The foreign minister &quot;urged the OIC to step up its efforts towards the realization of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.&quot; Presidential Bahrain visit At the weekly briefing, the spokesperson said that President Asif Ali Zardari is on an official visit to Bahrain. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has awarded President Zardari the Sheikh Isa Award during talks at Qudaibiya Palace in Manama. Earlier, the president received a guard of honor and discussed trade and investment, defense cooperation, support for Pakistan&#39;s expatriate community, and regional and global issues.&nbsp; The spokesman said that the visit &quot;seeks to reinforce Pakistan&#39;s long-standing cooperation with the brotherly Gulf nation, while expanding opportunities for collaboration in trade and economic partnerships, defense and security, and people-to-people ties.&quot; Qatar, regional diplomacy Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by phone with Qatar&#39;s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, about recent developments in the Middle East.&nbsp; Sharif &quot;appreciated Qatar&#39;s constructive and proactive role in promoting peace, dialogue, and mediation across the region,&quot; the spokesman said.&nbsp; Both leaders agreed to remain in close contact. Jeddah consulate opening Foreign Minister Dar also inaugurated a new building for Pakistan&#39;s Consulate General in Jeddah, raising the Pakistani flag and planting a tree on the premises.&nbsp;The new facility will serve 1.8 million Pakistanis in western Saudi Arabia and &quot;improve service delivery for the Pakistani community there,&quot; the spokesman said. Bilateral meetings Dar held meetings in Jeddah with foreign ministers from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Egypt, as well as Saudi Arabia&#39;s deputy foreign minister and the OIC secretary general, Andrabi said. The spokesman said Dar spoke by phone this week with foreign ministers from Uzbekistan, Iran, and Myanmar to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues. He also spoke with Indonesia&#39;s investment minister about strengthening economic partnerships.

In the weekly briefing, the foreign office spokesperson said Pakistan condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, and called on Muslim-majority nations to intensify efforts on resolving the Kashmir and Palestine issues.

Pakistan condemns Israeli recognition of Somaliland, presses OIC on Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s passport ranking has improved on the Henley Passport Index 2026, moving up five places to 98th from 103rd last year, according to figures released on Thursday. Under the latest rankings, Pakistan&rsquo;s travel document is placed 98th, tied with Yemen. It ranks above Iraq (99), Syria (100) and Afghanistan (101). The Henley Index shows that Pakistani passport holders currently have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 31 destinations worldwide. Globally, Singapore topped the index with visa-free access to 192 countries, followed by Japan and South Korea, which share second place with access to 188 destinations. Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland were jointly ranked third, each offering <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-adviser-says-islamabad-dhaka-working-to-restore-direct-flights-hopes-for-visafree-travel" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">visa-free</a> access to 186 countries. According to the index, Pakistani passport holders can travel visa-free to countries including Barbados, Cook Islands, Dominica, Haiti, Micronesia, Montserrat, Rwanda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu. Visa-on-arrival facilities are available for several destinations, including Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde Islands, Comoros, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Nepal, Palau Islands, Qatar, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu. In addition, Pakistani travelers can obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for Kenya, Seychelles and Sri Lanka.<img data-fr-image-pasted="true" src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/4d1fbe7d-b7f3-4616-9a7a-da3187a9577f-Screenshot%202026-01-15%20123118.png" alt="Henley Index" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-style: none; max-width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; text-align: left; color: rgb(65, 65, 65); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" id="isPasted" class="fr-fil fr-dib"> Reacting to the development, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi welcomed the improvement, calling it a &ldquo;strong achievement&rdquo; and expressing confidence that the upward momentum would continue. Despite the recent progress, Pakistan&rsquo;s passport has remained among the lowest ranked globally in recent years. It was ranked 103rd in 2025, 100th in both 2024 and 2023, 109th in 2022 and 107th in 2021, according to Henley&rsquo;s historical data. The Henley Passport Index ranks countries based on their &ldquo;visa-free score,&rdquo; which measures the number of destinations that passport holders can access without obtaining a prior visa or with a visa on arrival.

The Henley Index shows that Pakistani passport holders currently have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 31 destinations worldwide.

Pakistan’s passport ranking improves by five places, now ranks 98th

NUUK: European military personnel were due to begin arriving in Greenland on Thursday, shortly after a meeting between American, Danish and Greenlandic officials in Washington failed to resolve &quot;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/denmark-says-white-house-talks-failed-to-alter-us-designs-on-greenland" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">fundamental disagreement</a>&quot; over the mineral-rich, strategic Arctic island. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to take control of the autonomous Danish territory, arguing that it is vital for US security.<div class="fr-embed"><iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115893255826342514/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">&nbsp;</iframe></div>Reconnaissance missionFrance, Sweden, Germany and Norway announced Wednesday that they would deploy military personnel as part of a reconnaissance mission to Greenland&#39;s capital Nuuk. &quot;Soldiers of NATO are expected to be more present in Greenland from today and in the coming days. It is expected that there will be more military flights and ships,&quot; Greenland&#39;s deputy prime minister Mute Egede told a news conference on Wednesday, adding they would be &quot;training&quot;. &quot;The first French military personnel are already on their way. Others will follow,&quot; French President Emmanuel Macron said on X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2011578747791819017&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=9f67c598ad1b75bb439625bfaa2d91de7bf185f9&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2011578747791819017"></iframe></div></div>The deployment of a 13-strong Bundeswehr reconnaissance team to Nuuk from Thursday was at Denmark&#39;s invitation, the German defense ministry said, adding it would run from Thursday to Sunday. The deployment was announced on the same day that the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. &lsquo;Absolutely not necessary&rsquo;Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, speaking after leaving the White House, said a US takeover of Greenland was &quot;absolutely not necessary.&quot; &quot;We didn&#39;t manage to change the American position. It&#39;s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,&quot; Lokke told reporters. &quot;We therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree.&quot; &lsquo;Something will work out&rsquo;Trump, speaking after the meeting which he did not attend, for the first time sounded conciliatory on Greenland, acknowledging Denmark&#39;s interests even if he again said he was not ruling out any options. &quot;I have a very good relationship with Denmark, and we&#39;ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out,&quot; Trump said without explaining further. He again said Denmark was powerless if Russia or China wanted to occupy Greenland, but added: &quot;There&#39;s everything we can do.&quot; Trump has appeared emboldened on Greenland after ordering a deadly January 3 attack in Venezuela that removed president Nicolas Maduro. &lsquo;It&#39;s very frightening&rsquo;On the streets of Nuuk, red and white Greenlandic flags flew in shop windows, on apartment balconies, and on cars and buses, in a show of <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/we-dont-want-to-be-americans-greenlands-political-parties" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">national unity</a> this week. Some residents described anxiety from finding themselves at the center of the geopolitical spotlight. &quot;It&#39;s very frightening because it&#39;s such a big thing,&quot; said Vera Stidsen, 51, a teacher in Nuuk. &quot;I hope that in the future we can continue to live as we have until now: in peace and without being disturbed,&quot; Stidsen told AFP.

Macron says ‘first French military personnel are already on their way’; US President Trump has repeatedly vowed to take control of the autonomous Danish territory, arguing that it is vital for US security.

Canadian police link Bishnoi gang’s operations to Indian government: Reports

Related Articles

Yet another Sikh leader gunned down in Indian Punjab

US report says India’s political system fostering intolerance toward religious minorities

Latest News

Saudi Arabia remains top destination for Pakistani workers in 2025

US: ICE agent shoots Venezuelan man amid record immigration enforcement

Turkey opposes military operations against Iran: FM Fidan

Pakistan issues cold wave alert for northern regions

Oil plunges after Trump's Iran comments, Asian markets mixed