WHEN the state’s relationship with its people is defined by despair and fear, the latter barrel towards sunnier shores. Records of the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment show that in 2022, 832,339 Pakistanis found employment abroad, whereas the first five months of 2023 saw 315,787 citizens depart — a swathe of precious population lost at a level not seen since 1971, a year of war. Interestingly, for the last two years, the official unemployment figures have been put in the hole; economists speculate that the scale of the jobless stands at a record 11-12pc. Last week, Frontex informed Reuters that, at present, “Pakistanis are the number 3 nationality registered in Italy”. Moreover, FIA data confirms 401 were captured as they tried to cross the border in early 2023. Such a massive, hasty departure is hardly auspicious, and the blame lies at the government’s door: business and employment stand paralysed by intense inflation, political turmoil, insecurity and the rupee crash, provoking all tiers of society to jump Pakistan’s sinking ship.
Over the years, Pakistan’s insouciance towards the steady flight of human capital has been galling. Its apathy now extends to the ones who cannot afford an exit, making the state vulturine and anti-citizen, where a small elite is entitled to protection. This time, even the affluent are choosing desertion to secure a constructive future for the young; a safe life where justice isn’t a myth and accountability is real in well-oiled, red tape-free systems. For the poor, it’s comfortable survival away from the tyranny of a police state and the cruel chasm between the rich and deprived. Additionally, the educated as well as the skilled can profit from easy access to resources and prospects of growth scarce in their own land. The failure of a nation, where the youth constitutes over 68pc of the population, to forecast this hemorrhage indicates inherent, costly apathy. A nuanced view would have shown a sad aftermath — higher food cost, lower corporate profits, stalled foreign investment and the flight of money, ability, and therefore, prosperity. Aside from a miracle, our leftover economy is poised to be crippled by such immense talent drain, an open-and-shut case to seasoned economists. It’s worth remembering how things have taken a turn for the worse of late. Pakistan’s story may unravel with an exodus of biblical proportions.
Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2023
