Islamabad, July 25, 2023 (PPI-OT): Dr. Hanif Mughal, Senior Vice President of Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Tuesday that the worst economic conditions are forcing people to flee the country to find jobs abroad. Desperate youth are risking their lives to find work abroad, while the exodus of highly educated and highly skilled people poses a major threat to the economy, he said. He said that according to official data, 832,000 people have left the country in search of employment in six months this year, half of whom are educated, and about 100,000 are highly educated and experts in their fields.
These figures do not include those who have illegally left the country for America, Europe, the Middle East, or the Gulf countries, he added. In a statement issued here today, Dr. Hanif Mughal said that the brain drain is a major threat to the country as it will affect many sectors, including health, education, industry, IT, and services. Almost one hundred and fifty thousand people are fleeing the country every month due to a lack of employment, record inflation, economic decline, and political instability.
He said that 2.8 lakh people left the country for employment in 2020 and only 2.5 lakh in 2021, but now this trend is increasing as the situation deteriorates. The government had to take strict measures to avoid default, while there was no expansion in the tax net, neither expenditure was controlled nor taxes were imposed on favoured sectors, which led to a rapid increase in inflation and poverty.
In these conditions, the people have no choice but to escape the country for jobs, no matter how big the risk is. In these bleak conditions, new industries are not being established, nor are existing industries being expanded, due to which employment opportunities for the youth have ended, while the condition of those who are unemployed is also bad.
He said that frustration among the masses is on the rise, disputes in homes have become routine, and people are suffering from psychological problems. If the current conditions do not change, both society and the economy will suffer irreparable damage, he warned.
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