From Remittances to Reform

Zainab Asghar

Pakistan is a country with a majority of the youth population, approximately 64%. That large population shows a “Youth Bulge.” Usually, when a country has such a large number of young people, it treats them as assets and equips them with skills and education that empower them and train them to contribute to the development of their country. However, that is not the case here in Pakistan. In our country, millions of educated, skilled, and professional young minds packed their bags and left the country in the hope of a good future.

Pakistan’s greatest resource, its youth, is leaving due to economic crisis, nepotism, and policy neglect.

When we don’t invest in them, then they have no choice but to leave the country and serve the people of other countries, even though their own people need them desperately. The reason for this mass departure is crystal clear: the crippling economic situation, lack of law enforcement, and constant political instability. Migration is not a choice for most people; rather, it’s a necessity. They are forced to believe that there is no future left here for them, and even if someone believes in their potential, the nepotism instead of meritocracy in the job market shatters their hopes and so every plane that carries off takes talented, educated and energetic minds.

If we look at this from one perspective, we will see no such big problem, as many people leave their countries for a better future and then they send dollars and pounds called remittances, which help the economy of a country to some extent, but that’s only for the short term. The billions of dollars sent by overseas Pakistanis might help ease the burden of debt for a while, but in this way, our country is paying a heavy loss of bright minds.

The Remittances are not permanent cure, the doctors that could rebuild the broken healthcare system, the engineers that could build better infrastructure, the entrepreneur that can start business, Expert teachers and researchers that can provide fresh knowledge to young minds, IT experts that can innovate the tech companies in Pakistan and employ thousands, are giving all of their services to the foreign countries. In this way, we are exporting our Human Capital for money and losing talented young minds across different sectors. And this loss is due to our misplaced priorities and policy failure.

Remittances offer short-term relief but cannot replace the long-term loss of human capital.

Now the question is who is responsible for this loss? Although it’s easy for everyone to blame the Government alone and its leaders and that’s actually valid, as leaders hold responsibility for making policies that are actually effective. For years, the rulers in Pakistan have focused on blaming the previous Government and on short-cuts and short fixes to meet until the next election. While Youth are given importance and are called assets but only in speeches and we rarely see long-term institutions and opportunities that empower youth.

But the public is also to blame for this, as they give importance and fame to people who have done nothing for this country, while our researchers, scientists, athletes and entrepreneurs who spend their whole life for this country are neglected by the public. We rarely see our actual heroes getting the love and honor they deserve from the general public and in this we cannot blame the Government.

There is a need for change; we have India and China as examples where youth played an important role in the development and innovation sector of the country. Although a part of Indian youth live in foreign countries but there is still a large number of them who live in their own country as they are provided with opportunities that empower them.

This country Pakistan, was built for us and our founders and leaders have great hopes in the Youth of Pakistan. They saw them as the change maker and believe in their caliber. There is a very strong sense of patriotism in the Youth of Pakistan, and if they are given importance, I am sure they can play an important role in the development and prosperity of this country.

If we want to prevent the exodus of youth, we all have to bring about some change. Remittance is good, but our country cannot just rely on it. We need to have a proper parliamentary discussion on this matter instead of just focusing on political feuds. We must invest in industries such as tech, agriculture and renewable energy that can employ millions of people. The struggles and efforts of every single person should be valued instead of favoritism and nepotism. Our policymakers need to make policies that favor the youth and give them reasons to stay in this country.

Sustainable progress demands investing in education, innovation, and inclusive opportunities for the young.

We also need to focus on our sports industry and by sports, I don’t just mean Cricket but other sports like football, hockey, tennis, and many more. It’s a pity that Pakistan exports a large amount of football every year while its football sport suffers due to a lack of funds and public attention and the same is the case with other sports.

The Young talented minds of Pakistan need to go abroad for learning not for serving the other nations. Although Change doesn’t come in one day, it takes years but eventually it brings wellness for all.

To conclude, Pakistan’s vital resource is not buried under the ground but is walking on its streets. If our policymakers, leaders, and society prioritize them today, then they can build a future for us tomorrow.

The author is a student of International Relations at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI). She writes on South Asian politics and global affairs.