The pessimism that prevails is a key reason why so many choose to leave, legally and illegally, sometimes taking enormous risks to do so. DESIGN: JAMAL KHURSHID
It is clear that an increasingly large number of people in our country believe they would fare better if they left it for other shores. According to a report by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, 2.7 million Pakistanis have left the country over the past five years, including some 31,000 from Balochistan. Given the conditions prevailing in that province, notably in terms of law and order, but also human development, their choice does not seem specially surprising. Certainly, we know that talk of leaving the country is the subject of more and more conversations and discussions held everywhere.
The impact on our country of this brain drain has been terrifying. According to a previous report by the same ministry, 5.8 million people have left the country since 1981, including over 41,000 professionals and technicians. In a country with desperately low levels of literacy and even less educational attainment at higher levels, with a drop-out rate of 50 per cent within the first five years of education, their expertise is not something we can afford to lose. We desperately need more doctors, engineers and computer scientists. We must, therefore, endeavour to stem this brain drain. This can happen only if we are to create conditions more conducive to work, and life, at home. Many factors are involved in this, but perhaps, the most critical is introducing to people some sense of hope and persuading them that opportunities do exist for them in their homeland. The pessimism that prevails is a key reason why so many choose to leave, legally and illegally, sometimes taking enormous risks to do so. Their desperation is a sad testament to the situation that prevails, and of course, this is made worse when people with ability quit it. More and more people are quite obviously doing so. We must hold them back and find a way to utilise their abilities and persuade them to stay on in a country which needs their help if it is to stay afloat upon a stormy sea.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 26th, 2013.
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The reason people are leaving Pakistan is that for decades there have been no institutions created, academies or anything remotely to do with investment for the youth of Pakistan. they therefore grow up disenfranchised and the first thing they want is income - the right of any person on earth. So with a degree, you can either work for a few thousand rupees a month, or the possibility of far more abroad. Its not rocket science to understand. Until the country changes its total approach to everything, and creates opportunities for business to pay its citizens more, for private companies and government to create infrastructure, then and ONLY then will people stop leaving Pak. It is unfortunately the truth of the matter. When you are siphoning off millions of rupees on useless endeavours (such as fighting terrorism which will only continue with the umbilical cord to America) its a losing battle. Real leadership needs to cut the cord and release Pak from debts - FOR the people. Not, "hey we will do it when we get time" approach. That is the fundamental problem Pak has suffered for decades now. The problem is so far gone, successive Governments have compounded the problem and not done an iota to fix the root causes of mass unemployment. You get business going, you create manufacturing, you then attract investment, and you keep the youth there. You can now tax these high earners and generate money and re-invest this cash into the system. Thats how any country begins. We havent yet begun... But we will insha'Allah.
When there are no new jobs and no security, this is bound to happen. Probably will get worse before it gets better. Generally speaking, quality of life is very poor in this region.
Perhaps you don't know that the number one source of immigrants to North America is India and China. In today's world, people are more easily able to migrate with skills to where there is better opportunity. It has nothing to do with leaving a sinking ship but rather going to where there is a better economic future. In this sense, migration has nothing to do with Pakistan per say but human nature which is why there are skilled and educated workers from all developing nations looking for greener pastures in Western nations. Unfortunately the dream does not work out for many migrant families and their children but that is another matter.