Afghanistan’s passport has been ranked the least powerful in the world, securing the 106th spot on the latest Henley Passport Index.

This ranking highlights the severe travel restrictions faced by Afghan citizens, who can only access 26 countries without a visa.

The Henley Passport Index, a leading global ranking system for passports, evaluates countries based on the number of destinations their passport holders can visit visa-free. Afghanistan's position at the bottom underscores the challenges in global mobility for its citizens, who face significant barriers in travel compared to those from other nations.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Singapore boasts the world’s most powerful passport, offering its citizens access to 194 countries and territories without a visa. Japan and Finland follow closely in second and third place, respectively, with similarly high levels of travel freedom.

The Henley Passport Index is compiled using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the world's largest travel information database, complemented by extensive research from Henley and Partners. The report offers an authoritative look into global passport rankings, providing insight into how nationalities can navigate the world without the added complication of visa requirements.

Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq on Friday announced the launch of second tranche of third phase of Allama Iqbal Scholarships Programme for Afghan students.

This phase offers 4,500 vacancies over three years, providing fully funded scholarships in the fields of medical, engineering, agriculture, and others for graduation, post-graduation, and PhD studies, Sadiq said on X.

This month, over 22,000 applicants will take an online test, followed by interviews for final selection. The entire process will conclude within 45 days.

The envoy said that 33 percent of the scholarship seats are reserved for female students.

The White House has responded to US President-elect Donald Trump's claim that billions of dollars have been sent to the Islamic Emirate-controlled Afghanistan, saying that aid is being sent to the people of the country, not the Islamic Emirate.

“It’s not even believable. Billions of dollars, not millions—billions,” Trump said earlier this week, adding, “We pay billions of dollars to essentially the Taliban in Afghanistan. And that’s given by Biden.”

But White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told the Voice of America that the humanitarian aid sent to Afghanistan is going to the Afghan people, not the IEA.

Earlier, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) strongly rejected claims by Donald Trump that the ruling government is receiving “billions of dollars” from the United States.

Hamdullah Fitrat, the IEA’s deputy spokesman said: “The claims of billions and millions of dollars of aid to the Islamic Emirate from the US side are completely false and we strongly reject them.”