Exodus of talent

For decades, the country has watched its brightest minds leave in search of stability, dignity and opportunity elsewhere. What began as a slow trickle has now become a sustained exodus, hollowing out sectors vital to national progress. Pakistan is not merely exporting labour; it is exporting its future.

Seeking higher education abroad is not the problem; choosing not to return is. What was once an investment in knowledge has increasingly turned into a permanent exit, raising serious concerns about Pakistan's ability to retain the very talent it helps create. When valuable professionals such as doctors, engineers, nurses and business experts leave their own country in its time of need to serve elsewhere, despite those skills being most required at home, the loss is felt at the national level.

According to reports 2024-25, more than 14.22 million Pakistanis have officially left the country for overseas employment since 1972. The vast majority — over 96% — head to Gulf Cooperation Council states, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman. The year 2024 alone saw 727,381 Pakistani workers registered for overseas employment. Of these, about 50% (366,092) were categorised as unskilled workers, while 35% (255,706) fell into the skilled category.

The migration of highly skilled professionals is rising sharply. In 2023, 45,687 highly skilled workers left Pakistan, up from 20,865 in 2022. Nurse migration to Europe has surged by 2,144%, while an estimated 1,500 doctors leave the country annually, with more than 25,500 having sought work abroad. In total, 862,625 Pakistanis emigrated in 2023, up from 832,339 in 2022; draining talent from sectors vital to national development.

The exodus of skilled professionals from Pakistan continues across multiple fields. This trend not only drains the country of talent but also deprives it of highly skilled individuals who could contribute to national development.

This loss is not limited to ordinary citizens. Our political and business elites often hold foreign passports while seeking to govern or profit from Pakistan. They admire the planning, infrastructure and discipline of foreign states, but fail to replicate or respect the same standards at home. Abroad, they queue like everyone else, use public transport and stay in modest hotels. At home, they live extravagantly on the taxpayer's account.

Such contradictions weaken a country from within. We cannot build a stable economy while celebrating imported brands and ignoring domestic products. Our industries will never grow if we refuse to trust what we produce. We cannot expect integrity in public institutions when government assets are treated as personal property, neither maintained nor respected.

Brain drain is not merely a statistic — it is a national wound. The GIDS estimates Pakistan's annual economic loss due to brain drain at US$4.2 billion. Remittances, though substantial, cannot compensate for the loss of skilled professionals who sustain sectors like health, engineering, science and education. Remittances offer temporary breathing space; the departure of talent causes long-term suffocation.

If this trend continues, Pakistan risks being left with a workforce lacking the qualifications required to drive a modern economy. We cannot grow with an emptying talent pool.

Many skilled professionals cite lack of job security, personal safety and a declining quality of life as reasons for leaving Pakistan. Widespread corruption and inefficiency within public institutions have weakened confidence in domestic opportunities, encouraging talent to seek more stable and rewarding prospects abroad.

The rise in the development sector for Pakistan is possible when its people — students, professionals, politicians and workers — believe that their skills belong first to their own homeland. In this way, the country can stop draining talent and begin to rebuild itself with pride and purpose.

The flight of our talent is not a gain; it is a loss for the country's future. Keeping skilled professionals at home is not only an economic necessity but essential for progress. Without security, opportunity and recognition for its people, the country will continue to lose the talent it desperately needs.