Pakistan is witnessing a mass exodus of skilled professionals, with thousands of doctors, engineers and accountants going abroad for work amid worsening economic stagnation and political instability. This
has led several Pakistanis to mock Army Chief Asim Munir, who called the Pakistani diaspora a “brain gain” a few months ago.
Official migration data from 2024-25 has revealed a staggering trend of overseas migration. According to the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE), Pakistan has lost approximately 5,000 doctors, 11,000 engineers and 13,000 accountants. The nursing sector is the hardest hit as more and more Pakistanis seek jobs overseas, reported The Express Tribune.
At least 727,381 Pakistanis officially registered for overseas employment in 2024, as per the data, while 687,246 individuals went abroad by the end of November 2025. The cumulative outflow of Pakistanis over the past few years has exceeded 1.5 million citizens.
Over the past 24 months Pak has lost 5000 doctors, 11000 engineers & 13000 accountants. Pak is also the 4th largest freelancing hub & with internet shutdowns causing losses of $1.62 billion, has put 2.37 million freelancing jobs at risk.
Fix politics to fix the economy!…
— Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar (@mustafa_nawazk) December 26, 2025
Why Are Pakistanis Going Abroad?
As per the report, rampant inflation, economic instability, political uncertainty, weak governance , limited tech career paths and underdeveloped research and innovation ecosystems have pushed Pakistani workers abroad. Experts say competitive pay and better living standards in foreign countries have also pulled talent overseas.
The digital instability has hit Pakistan hard. A report identified Pakistan as the world leader in economic losses caused by internet shutdowns in 2024, estimating losses of $1.62 billion, or over (Pakistani) Rs 450 billion. As access remained erratic, Pakistani freelancers reported a 70% drop in work opportunities.
The Express Tribune report noted that Pakistan had become a “Brain Drain Economy” surviving on the export of the very people it needs to build its future.
Asim Munir’s ‘Brain Gain’ Claim
The desperate situation in Pakistan has brought renewed attention to Asim Munir’s “brain gain” claim during a visit to the United States. Addressing a gathering of the Pakistani diaspora, Munir hailed overseas Pakistanis as a “source of pride and dignity” and rejected the notion of a “brain drain”, instead calling it a “brain gain”.
“These are the official numbers of Pakistanis leaving Pakistan. Do look at the number in the Highly Qualified, Highly Skilled and Skilled columns since 2022. According to Field Martial Asim Munir this is “Brain Gain”,” a user wrote on X.
These are the official numbers of Pakistanis leaving Pakistan. Do look at the number in the Highly Qualified, Highly Skilled and Skilled columns since 2022. According to Field Martial Asim Munir this is “Brain Gain”. There is a reason Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi going to… pic.twitter.com/4DaUiIb3rx
— Ahmed Ali Khan (@ahmedalikhan01) December 14, 2025
Brain drain is real, and it is speeding up‼️
Approx 40,000 highly qualified 🇵🇰🇵🇰 have emigrated in last two years as Pakistan suffers from low economic growth and high inflation.
We are losing a lot of innovative ideas and future leaders due to weak economic policies. pic.twitter.com/AiVbnSAFUT
— Abdul Rehman Najam (@ARNOfficiall) January 8, 2024
MashaAllah – Field Marshal Asim Munir’s real “brain-gain” at work https://t.co/MCr1cyKvRR pic.twitter.com/qjNYmrPtaW
— علی مصطفی | Ali Mustafa (@Ali_Mustafa) December 26, 2025
“The gift of Asim Munir/Military establishment. Their so called brain gain and not brain drain,” another user write. A third person said, “Unprecedented brain drain underway. Whoever can get a job abroad is leaving. Sets Pakistan back by at least a decade. So poorly thought through.”
“Pakistan’s brain dead isn’t a mystery. No industry, no research funding, no jobs. PhDs return to empty labs, professionals to closed markets. You can’t stop talent by humiliating people at airports, only by creating opportunity,” said PTI leader Sajid Sikandar Ali.
