KARACHI: The economic uncertainty, increasing inflation, and persistent political instability in Pakistan have driven thousands of educated and skilled citizens to emigrate from the country.
As per Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment, over 700,000 people left Pakistan in 2024 for a brighter future, compared to over 811,000 the previous year.
The prolonged political instability and growing economic crisis in Pakistan have cast a shadow over the country’s future.
The Bureau stated in its report that Saudi Arabia issued the most visas, followed by the United Arab Emirates, which granted visas to professionals in various categories.
The demand for professional workers has also increased in the United States and Europe, according to Deputy Director Abdul Shakoor Soomro.
As per report, In 2022, approximately 765,000 highly educated and skilled youth, including young doctors, engineers, IT experts, accountants, and paramedics, left Pakistan for a brighter future, marking a 300 percent increase in the country’s brain drain. Most of them were destined for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Due to this brain drain in 2022, Pakistan lost 7,000 engineers, 25,000 doctors, 1,600 nurses, 2,000 computer experts, 6,500 accountants, 2,600 agricultural experts, and 900 teachers.