LAHORE - Hardly any country has suffered more from the 'brain drain than has Pakistan. Nearly 3,500 graduates of countrys medical colleges remained jobless annually and most of them go abroad. This was stated by the Chairman Denmark Pakistan Chamber of Commerce (DPCC) and a research economist Abid Ali Abid while delivering a lecture on the subject impact of brain drain on Pakistans economy to the members of Lahore Economic Journalist Association (LEJA). President Leja Mansoor Ahmad, Vice President Itrat Bashir, General Secretary Muhammad Sudhir Chaudhry and Treasure Imran Adnan also spoke on the occasion. Abid said that those that consider flight of highly skilled human resource of the country as source of remittance failed to realise that absence of highly qualified doctors, engineers and scientists is playing havoc with the long term economic growth of the country. He said even the low skilled labour force of the country should be nurtured to improve their skills and play their role in local economy. He said Pakistan seems to have nothing but problems. He said the endemic poverty of British Raj pales compared with the current poverty rate in Pakistan. He said high skilled workforce badly needed in Pakistan that is going abroad in search for jobs. He said educated and skilled persons see their future not in their home country but abroad. He said all economists agree that every doctor who left a poor nation leaves a hole that cannot be filled. 'That creates enormous problems for the source country and the educational and health leaders in the country who are attempting to provide healers he added. He said no nation could achieve long-term economic growth by exporting our human resource. Chairman DPCC said according to official estimates of Pakistans Overseas Employment Corporation, close to 36,000 professionals, including doctors, engineers and teachers, have migrated to other countries in the last 30 years. Interestingly, this number is indicative of only a small proportion of actual migration, since the majority of emigrants do not register. He said his research indicates that the immigrants in recent years have increased around 45000. Abid said that though the danger of the brain drain to Pakistan is clear, a large part of the problem is that there are not enough opportunities offered to the countrys highly skilled labour for contribution. Educated unemployment is significantly high in the country and salary levels for skilled workers (relative to unskilled workers) are often kept forcibly low by govts to maintain an egalitarian income policy. He said though the salaries of highly skilled workforce in developed world are 30-40 times higher than Pakistan but money is not the only reason for many who opt to go abroad. He said the lack of respect of the professionals is another reason. He said highly skilled software engineers are usually answerable to the bosses that have no knowledge about IT and they ridicule the computerised solutions that the subordinate engineer presents before them. He said the govt should impart on job training to farmers, welders, plumbers and other low-rated skill workers about their profession so that they could increase productivity and ensure a progressively better future.