Pakistan's talent flight: an unpopular view

What often gets lost is the uncomfortable reality: that life abroad is much harder than it first looks

According to the latest official data, more than 800,000 Pakistanis left the country in the past year alone, seeking jobs, education or permanent residence overseas. The figure is often cited as proof of an accelerating brain drain, a damning indictment of Pakistan's economy and governance. Social media amplifies this narrative daily, turning migration into both a trend and a badge of wisdom. Staying back, many argue, is foolish.

The reasons usually offered for this exodus are familiar and not entirely wrong. A precarious economic situation, shrinking job opportunities, corruption, security concerns and an overall bleak sense of future. For many young Pakistanis, leaving the country appears to be the only rational escape from a system they believe is rigged against merit and hard work. But is this the whole truth? Migration from developing or third-world countries is not unique to Pakistan. People across Asia, Africa, and Latin America have long migrated in search of better opportunities. Even India, now the world's fifth-largest economy, continues to send millions of skilled and unskilled workers abroad every year.

What often gets lost in our debate is a more uncomfortable reality: life abroad is far more difficult than it looks from a distance. A friend of mine recently left Pakistan for what he believed were greener pastures in Europe. Like many others, he was convinced that once he crossed borders, success would follow automatically. Three months later, his optimism evaporated. Long working hours, social isolation, rising living costs and the constant pressure of proving himself in a foreign land took their toll. "It was the biggest mistake of my life," he told me candidly. He went so far as to say that if given another chance, he would never leave Pakistan. His experience is not unique.

Another example comes from a butcher, not a corporate professional, not a degree-holder, but a skilled worker. He returned only after six months, and today, back in Pakistan, he speaks with conviction. "There is no better country than Pakistan." What shocked him most was not just the hard work, he was used to that, but the loneliness, the lack of dignity and the struggle to survive in a system that offers little emotional or social support to outsiders. None of this is to romanticise Pakistan's problems. They are real, deep and structural. But my own experience often shocks people: it is easier to be successful in Pakistan than abroad. Why? Because most people here, especially the youth, operate with a premeditated notion that nothing works without influence. This belief pushes them toward shortcuts and connections over competence. Hard work, consistency and patience are seen as outdated. As a result, genuine effort faces surprisingly little competition.

I have known a non-linear editor (NLE) in my own profession who started just a few years ago on a meagre salary. He focused on learning, discipline and persistence and today, he earns half a million rupees a month. His colleagues, many of them more "street-smart", are still struggling. The difference was simply sustained effort. When you put in the work, you get results.

There is absolutely no harm in venturing abroad for a better future. Everyone should try, explore and test their limits. But I am willing to bet that if people invested the same level of effort, sacrifice and discipline in Pakistan that they are forced to invest overseas, their lives here would not be nearly as bleak as they imagine. Having said that, this argument does not absolve the state of its primary responsibility. The government must ensure a stable environment, provide equal opportunities and create systems where merit can thrive. Citizens can struggle, adapt and persevere, but without institutional support, even the hardest workers eventually burn out.

Leaving Pakistan is a choice. Staying back is also a choice. What matters most is not geography but mindset and the willingness to work when shortcuts seem easier.