PKR 20,000 salary for PKR 200,000 a semester fee: Pakistan's jobless economy leaves millions in despair

Pakistan is on the brink of an unprecedented social and economic collapse as unemployment, inflation, and poverty continue to surge, warned Pakistan-based JDC Foundation’s General Secretary Syed Zafar Abbas on Monday.

Highlighting the worsening humanitarian situation, Abbas said that educated youth and struggling families are bearing the brunt of the crisis.

“Despite paying exorbitant university fees of up to PKR 200,000 per semester, many graduates in Karachi remain jobless or are forced to accept meagre salaries between PKR 20,000 and PKR 25,000,” ANI quoted Abbas as saying.

“What kind of future do we offer them?” he asked.

“When a young man spends years studying and is then offered a job that barely covers his motorcycle’s fuel, how can he survive with dignity?” he added.

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Abbas strongly criticised the government for its failure to provide economic relief and create sustainable job opportunities, warning that widespread desperation is pushing citizens toward suicide, theft, and psychological breakdowns.

“Every second young patient in heart hospitals today is suffering because of unemployment and hopelessness,” he said, adding that the middle class has been “buried under the ground.”

Highlighting the growing hardships faced by Karachi’s residents, Abbas pointed to soaring electricity bills exceeding PKR 250,000 for families earning between PKR 60,000 and PKR 90,000 a month.

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“People are selling their jewellery and wedding savings to pay bills and school fees,” he said.

“If things continue like this, people will soon loot shops for food not out of greed, but hunger,” he added.

Abbas, whose JDC Foundation operates free dialysis centres, IT institutes, morgues, and blood testing laboratories, said that even charitable organisations are struggling to survive.

“Those who once donated are now asking for help. The nation is collapsing economically,” he said.

He urged the government to announce immediate relief measures, offer low-interest loans, and prioritise education and employment reforms.

“The poor have already died,” he said gravely. “If the rulers do not act, the day is near when the hungry will rise not for politics, but for survival.”

With inputs from agencies