This paper reports an empirical study of the country image of Pakistan. The purpose is to analyse key factors that influence perceptions. Four focus groups were conducted with both Pakistani nationals and people from other countries. Findings include the following: (i) there was little positive image of Pakistan as a country; (ii) most non‐Pakistani respondents lacked knowledge of the country; (iii) the self‐perception of Pakistanis was also largely negative; and (iv) media was the main source of information about the country. However, perceptions could be changed simply, as respondents gave very different responses after watching a slide show of Pakistan. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.