Who wants to stay in cash-strapped Pakistan? Not us, say its skilled workers

Asad Ejaz Butt, a talented economist, returned to Pakistan after completing his graduate studies in Canada, eager to contribute to his homeland’s development. Despite landing prestigious jobs under two finance ministers, he struggled to make ends meet due to Pakistan’s soaring inflation, which surpassed any other Asian nation, Bloomberg reported.

Butt made the tough decision to leave his coveted government job and relocate to North America, seeking to buy time and pursue another advanced degree. He shared his sentiments from Massachusetts, “My passion to give back to the country was overshadowed by economic responsibilities and stagnant salaries amidst rising inflation. That was the tipping point for me.”

His story tracks across Pakistan, where a severe brain drain is hollowing out one of the world’s most populous nations during its most tumultuous period in decades. Pakistan’s long-standing emigration trend has reached unprecedented levels, sparking concern over its magnitude and consequences. The country’s significant reliance on remittances from abroad highlights the urgent need to tackle the root causes driving its most skilled citizens away.

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The exodus primarily consisted of highly skilled professionals, including doctors, engineers, accountants, and managers, totalling around 10 million who left the country in search of better opportunities abroad over the last 17 years, with the highest number of emigrants recorded during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) tenure from 2013 to 2018. This trend has earned Pakistan a spot among the top 10 countries for emigration.

The peak of migration wave was seen in 2015, when over 9,00,000 individuals left Pakistan in search of jobs. However, by 2018, this number sharply declined by 60 per cent, with only around 3,00,000 people emigrating for jobs. The Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted migration trends, with a surge in numbers observed in 2022 as restrictions eased. The number of emigrants rose to around 8,00,000 in 2022 and 2023

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The country’s economic struggles fuelled by mismanagement, political turbulence, and soaring consumer prices, have driven this mass departure. The International Monetary Fund’s recent $7 billion bailout also shed light on the severity of Pakistan’s economic woes. Prices for items like cars and air conditioners are now out of reach for most Pakistanis, with the cost of milk in Karachi surpassing what it would be in Paris.