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Pakistan sees exodus of 5,000 doctors, 11,000 engineers, internet mocks Asim Munir’s ‘brain gain’ remarks
In 2025, another 687,246 people had already gone abroad by the end of November.
Thousands of skilled professionals, including doctors and engineers, have left Pakistan over the past two years amid “worsening economic conditions and political instability”.
Government data shows that the country has lost more than 5,000 doctors, 11,000 engineers and 13,000 accountants during this period, Pakistan's Express Tribune reported.
The figures, released by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, have drawn criticism of the government, particularly after Paksitani's Army Chief General Asim Munir described the large-scale outflow as a “brain gain” rather than a brain drain.
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Why the exodus?
According to the data, 727,381 Pakistanis officially registered for overseas employment in 2024.
In 2025, another 687,246 people had already gone abroad by the end of November.
What has raised alarm is that the migration is no longer confined to labourers heading to the Gulf for work or so-called “professional beggars” attempting to leave the country.
The healthcare sector has been the hardest hit. Between 2011 and 2024, nurse migration from Pakistan surged by 2,144%, a trend that continued this year as well, The Express Tribune reported.
The latest emigration numbers, particularly the scale at which doctors and engineers are leaving, have also triggered a wave of online sarcasm.
Asim Munir's ‘brain gain’ remark
Many on social media have now recalled Asim Munir’s August remarks in the United States, where he referred to overseas migration as a “brain gain” and dismissed concerns of a “brain drain”.
The current wave of departures also reflects the rise of what observers describe as “invisible migrants” or technology professionals who no longer believe a global career is possible within Pakistan, according to the report.
This group is being driven not only by low wages but also by “digital friction”.
In 2024 and 2025, the rollout of a national internet firewall and repeated connectivity disruptions emerged as major push factors.
“Economic instability, inflation, political uncertainty, weak governance, limited tech career paths, and underdeveloped research and innovation ecosystems push skilled workers abroad,” said Sai Global CEO Dr Noman Ahmed Said while speaking to The Express Tribune.
“Competitive pay, structured tech careers, better living standards and residency opportunities abroad are enough to pull talent overseas.”
“If Pakistan keeps exporting its best coders, data scientists and cybersecurity experts without a strategy to bring them back or plug them into our economy from abroad, we are effectively subsidising innovation elsewhere,” he warned. “This isn't just about people leaving; it's about ideas, products and patents we never created at home.”
