Why Pakistan’s mass exodus of skilled professionals puts Asim Munir’s ‘brain gain’ claim under scrutiny

Amid a worsening economic stagnation and political instability, Pakistan is witnessing a large-scale outflow of skilled professionals, with thousands of doctors, engineers and accountants leaving the country for work abroad.

The trend has triggered widespread criticism of Army Chief Asim Munir, who had earlier described the overseas Pakistani diaspora as a “brain gain” during a foreign visit.

Over the past 24 months Pak has lost 5000 doctors, 11000 engineers & 13000 accountants. Pak is also the 4th largest freelancing hub & with internet shutdowns causing losses of $1.62 billion, has put 2.37 million freelancing jobs at risk.

Fix politics to fix the economy!…

— Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar (@mustafa_nawazk) December 26, 2025

Official data shows sharp rise in migration

Official migration data for 2024–25 highlights the scale of the exodus. According to the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE), around 5,000 doctors, 11,000 engineers and 13,000 accountants have left Pakistan. The nursing sector has been the hardest hit, with a growing number of professionals seeking opportunities overseas, The Express Tribune reported.

At least 727,381 Pakistanis officially registered for overseas employment in 2024, while 687,246 people had gone abroad by the end of November 2025. In total, more than 1.5 million Pakistanis have left the country in recent years.

Why Pakistanis are leaving

Reports attribute the mass migration to soaring inflation, prolonged economic instability, political uncertainty, weak governance, limited technology-driven career opportunities and an underdeveloped research and innovation ecosystem. Experts say better pay, job security and higher living standards abroad continue to draw skilled workers out of Pakistan.

Internet shutdowns worsen job losses

Pakistan has also been hit hard by digital instability. A report identified the country as the world’s biggest sufferer of economic losses due to internet shutdowns in 2024, estimating losses of $1.62 billion, or over Pakistani Rs 450 billion. Erratic connectivity has led to a 70 percent drop in work opportunities for Pakistani freelancers.

These are the official numbers of Pakistanis leaving Pakistan. Do look at the number in the Highly Qualified, Highly Skilled and Skilled columns since 2022. According to Field Martial Asim Munir this is “Brain Gain”. There is a reason Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi going to… pic.twitter.com/4DaUiIb3rx

— Ahmed Ali Khan (@ahmedalikhan01) December 14, 2025

‘Brain drain economy’

The Express Tribune described Pakistan as a “brain drain economy”, increasingly surviving on the export of the very professionals it needs to rebuild its economy and institutions.

Asim Munir’s ‘brain gain’ claim under fire

The deteriorating situation has renewed scrutiny of Asim Munir’s remarks during a visit to the US, where he hailed overseas Pakistanis as a “source of pride and dignity” and rejected the idea of a brain drain, instead calling it a “brain gain”.

Social media users cited official migration figures to challenge the claim. “These are the official numbers of Pakistanis leaving since 2022. According to Field Marshal Asim Munir, this is ‘brain gain’,” one user wrote on X. Another said, “This is the gift of the military establishment — a so-called brain gain, not brain drain.” A third warned that the ongoing exodus could set Pakistan back by at least a decade.

‘You cannot stop talent without opportunity’

PTI leader Sajid Sikandar Ali said the crisis stems from a lack of opportunity. “Pakistan’s brain drain is not a mystery. There is no industry, no research funding and no jobs. PhDs return to empty labs and professionals to closed markets. You cannot stop talent from leaving by humiliating people at airports, only by creating opportunity,” he said.