OUR country is blessed with many intellectuals and highly skilled people in almost every profession. However, Pakistan faces a hard challenge – brain drain. The best of the professionals finding an opportunity abroad never think of coming back to their country.

The children of the professionals raised in a developed society never want to go back to the country of their parents’ origin. There are reasons.

I myself had a chance to study in Norway for my MS and believe me what I learnt from there could never ever learn anywhere. When I reached Norway, I was received at the airport by a lady who drove me to my apartment. On the way, I observed that a police officer checked her mouth with some instrument and let her go. The officer wanted to check if she had consumed alcohol. It is unlawful to drive after drinking alcohol in Norway. I observed rule of law was respected.

Once during our stay our passports got expired. My daughter was hardly four years old at that time. I went to a photographer. It was very early and the photographer had not arrived. But the sales assistant, who was 16 or 17 years old, helped me on my request.

My child won’t let her take photo. After taking photos several times, we finally settled for one. But she took half of the actual amount of the money, saying she won’t charge full because it was not a perfect picture because my child was in a bad mood.

That day I realised that all those rules which are responsible for the growth of a civilised society were witnessed in the behaviour of a teenage girl. That was the day I was convinced that nurturing kindness in society can pay off in the long run.

Only handsome salary cannot make skilled people return home; but it is the dignified attitude which compels you to go back home and serve it. If there is no justice, no political, social, economic and environmental stability, the brain drain will continue. Highly skilled people will never return to suffer from red-tapism our society is confronted with.

Shahida Nasreen Zakir
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2020