Pakistan is currently going through the most serious talent exodus in its history. Economic distress, political uncertainty and lack of professional opportunities have made the situation such that even the most educated people of the country are being forced to go out. Recent government figures have revealed the real picture of this crisis.

According to the report of Pakistan’s Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, the country has lost thousands of highly educated professionals in the last two years. During this period, about 5 thousand doctors, 11 thousand engineers and 13 thousand accountants have left Pakistan. These figures have come at a time when the country’s government and army leadership are constantly trying to portray the situation as normal.

The number of people going abroad is increasing every year

The report shows that in the year 2024, more than seven lakh Pakistanis registered for jobs abroad. By November 2025, this number had reached around seven lakhs. The matter of concern is that now this migration is not limited only to the working class. Doctors, engineers, accountants and people involved in research are also leaving the country rapidly.

Health sector most affected

The most profound impact of this talent exodus has been on the health sector of Pakistan. According to media reports, migration of nurses and medical staff has increased by thousands of percent in the last decade. Experts believe that if this trend continues, Pakistan will have to face a huge shortage of doctors and declining standards of health services in the coming years.

Despite airport strictness, migration did not stop

Amidst the rapidly deteriorating image and international pressure, the Shahbaz Sharif government has increased the strictness at the airports. In 2025 alone, thousands of passengers were offloaded due to incomplete documents, illegal migration or other charges. Despite this, the number of people wanting to leave the country has not decreased, which clearly shows that the problem is rooted.

Brain gain statement becomes reason for joke

Amidst this entire crisis, the old statement of Army Chief Asim Munir has again come into discussion on social media. While talking to expatriate Pakistanis in America, he described brain drain as brain gain. Now that the figures of large-scale migration of doctors and engineers have come to light, his statement is being heavily criticized.

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