The cruel sea: wake-up call for our economic transformation

The recent tragic incident in which 300 Pakistani migrants lost their lives as the boat carrying international migrants capsized in the treacherous waters of the Mediterranean Sea demands attention and introspection. While inquiries are underway to determine how these young individuals were misled, and exploited by unscrupulous elements, we must also delve deeper into the underlying causes that drove them to embark on such a perilous journey. This is not an isolated incident but a distressing indication of a much larger issue that has socio-economic and demographic bearings.

The increasing number of similar events being reported underscores the magnitude of the problem. It reflects the plight of economically impoverished young people who are desperate to improve their economic prospects. Their stories are heart-wrenching, echoing the plight of the unfortunate Vietnamese ‘boat people’ who had fled their country in the eighties for economic, political and ethnic reasons. Many of them perished before reaching their intended destinations. In 1986, the Secretary General of the Vietnamese Communist Party acknowledged that unemployment and the inability to meet people’s basic needs were the driving factors behind the exodus.

Drawing parallels between Vietnam two decades ago and Pakistan today reveals striking similarities in terms of economic turmoil, widespread unemployment, weak industrial bases, high fertility rates and poor health indicators. However, Vietnam was able to achieve a rapid economic turnaround through major reforms and a relentless focus on human capital development. Today, Vietnam is a shining example of successful development, transitioning from one of the poorest nations to a middle-income country. The era of the boat people in Vietnam has long since passed; the country now exports its skilled workforce in an organized manner, reaping high economic returns. If Vietnam could achieve such a transformation within a single generation, we, too, have the potential to do so, provided we make the right decisions today.

With Pakistan’s population growth rate outpacing Vietnam’s, we face an additional challenge. We add five million people to our population each year, while Vietnam adds merely a million. Presently, Vietnam’s unemployment rate is 2.1%, while Pakistan’s has soared to a staggering 6.3%. About 46 million people in Pakistan are in the age bracket of 15-24 years; out of these 4.8% or 2.2 million are unemployed.

The recent tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea should serve as a resolute reminder that we must strive for an economic turnaround of our own. Our primary focus must be on a comprehensive development agenda, with substantial investments in the social sectors and establishing a knowledge economy. We must reduce our fertility rate to sustainable levels by expanding access to voluntary family planning services, revolutionise our education system to enhance literacy, invest in human capital through skill development programs, improve the overall health of our population, and widen our industrial base.

Aspiration to seek a better future is a justifiable goal, and we should facilitate our young people to enhance their prospects through legitimate means. Several European countries offer scholarships for higher education, some even have fast-tracked visa programs for talented young individuals with advanced computer skills. We must empower our youth to avail these opportunities and create conditions within the country that incentivizes them to return and contribute to national development. Pakistani lives matter, and we cannot allow them to be squandered in distant seas. This tragedy must catalyse change and embark us on a path of socio-economic transformation. It is within our reach, but we must act decisively and collectively, forging a future that offers hope and opportunity for all.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2023.

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