July 24, 2006	Monday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 27, 1427

EXACTLY what led Fokker to recent crash near Multan, killing all 45 passengers on board? Different people have different opinions. The official reason behind the crash will come, if ever it comes, later possibly in next couple of weeks.

Awaiting this, let’s spare some thoughts on the larger issue of brain drain not alone in aviation but generally in every occupation, skilled and unskilled, with reference to its impact on the socio-economic health of the nation.

To begin with, one can look at positive impacts of the workers’ remittances on the national economy and livelihood of the peoples. The remittances have helped strengthened the rupee, improved living standards of families left behind, provided balance of payments support and financed new ventures in private sector.

Analysts also argue that migration can bring certain other benefits. Technology and skill transfer are the two most important benefits that skilled migrants bring on return to their home country. But this may not be the whole truth. A friend associated with Virtual University, has just gone back to the United States after losing patience fighting the “system.” An unskilled worker usually returns years after to die rich in some rural hinterland.

These facts do not discourage people migrating. The rate of unemployment is very high and cost of goods and services surge with price rise in international market.

For those employed with government and private sector, the pay rise is slow. To bridge the gulf between desired and actual income, skilled people leave country legally and unskilled, quite often illegally.

Perhaps this was one reason that a number of skilled technicians left PIA early this year, because as reports had it, employed with the national carrier air-technicians were getting Rs30,000 to 50,000 monthly salaries and, on migration their salaries should have jumped to something between Rs100,000 to 300,000.

Brain drain is a worldwide occurrence though now slowing down on account of ‘war on terror’. Scientists, researchers, educationists, people in media, health services and of course unskilled labour force leave their countries of origin for better opportunities abroad.

According to reports, the USA attracts some 10 to 15 per cent of the estimated 200,000 teachers each year, often from the Philippines and India; most are hired to teach math and science subjects in inner-city schools. Similarly, United Kingdom is said to have recruited an estimated 30,000 nurses from overseas in hospitals across the country in recent years.

The developed world has certain criteria to draw highly skilled individuals from poor countries. Resultantly, in countries like Pakistan mediocrity becomes entrenched in almost every institution. For instance, there is no qualified psychiatric in Mayo hospital Lahore. Until recently, people around Rawalpindi, Islamabad region had limited choice of Nero-physicians.

For professors and teachers, the less said the better. Engineers, vets, nurses, pilots, physiotherapists and researchers feel compelled to seek employment abroad. The vacuum so created is filled with migration of ‘professionals’ from rural areas to urban centres. Even our national sports are not immune from such brain drain. Management committees of cricket and hockey often face difficulties in persuading players to play for their country.

Pakistan is confronted with all the post-modern problems associated with scarcity of human talent. And this is not only because of income disparities. Lack of developed institutions, disrespect for fundamental human rights—both cause and effect of migration—also encourages skilled professionals to seek jobs abroad.