Pakistan's Brain Drain: 29,000 Professionals Flee in Two Years, Challenging Army Chief's Claim

• Approximately 29,000 professionals, including 5,000 doctors, 11,000 engineers, and 13,000 accountants, left Pakistan in the last two years (2024-25).
• Migration data from BE&OE shows a surge in overseas employment registrations, with 727,381 in 2024 and over 687,246 by November 2025.
• The healthcare sector is severely impacted, with a 2,144% increase in nurse emigration (2011-2024), crumbling Pakistan's public health system.
• Internet shutdowns in 2024 caused $1.62 billion loss and risked 2.37 million freelancing jobs, exacerbating the digital infrastructure problem.
• Professionals are leaving due to inflation, economic instability, political uncertainty, weak governance, and limited career opportunities, seeking better prospects abroad.

Why It Matters: Pakistan faces a severe "brain drain" as thousands of professionals leave, contradicting "brain gain" claims.