For the last twenty years, our beloved Pakistan has witnessed the change of successive governments largely through the democratic process. Yet, the economic condition remains in shambles, and political stability is nowhere to be seen. The need to secure IMF bailout packages, one after another, to safeguard the country against default has resulted in “difficult decisions” for the public, leading to hopelessness among the masses. Skyrocketing fuel prices, with massive increases on a fortnightly basis, and the incremental rise in electricity and gas tariffs have made a reasonable standard of living a distant dream for the middle class—let alone the lower middle class or the poor. Making ends meet is becoming impossible with each passing day for the inhabitants of our beloved country, Pakistan.
The situation is worsening, with no sign of improvement anytime soon. Unfortunately, skilled and educated individuals are left with a few bitter choices. One option is to stay where they are and try to survive, clinging to the hope of better days. The other is to send their children abroad in search of scholarships or better employment opportunities. The latter seems the lesser of two evils for the majority, offering a way out of the innumerable challenges they face in their homeland. According to the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment, 832,339 Pakistanis went abroad for employment in 2022. For the ongoing year, 2023, the figure stands at 633,108 as of September and is expected to surpass last year’s total. This does not include the increasing number of students going abroad on scholarships. For reference, Pakistan’s share in the Erasmus Mundus scholarship programme, as per the Higher Education Commission, stands at 198 this year—the highest in the past seven years. This upward trajectory, which began with 46 students in 2017, continues to grow.
While the increasing number of scholarships is encouraging, the fact that many students settle abroad for better opportunities and do not return is worrisome. For ageing parents in Pakistan, this creates a serious dilemma. Parents with two or more children may send one or more abroad for brighter prospects, whether for employment or scholarships, while keeping one child close to care for them. However, for parents with only one child, the situation becomes a real struggle. In these economically challenging times, with rising inflation and unemployment, seeing one’s educated yet jobless child is a source of great anguish for ageing parents. This is why it is termed “forced migration”: no one willingly leaves their motherland, family, and friends, except with memories and the hope of returning when better days arrive.
Even if a child has a job in the public or private sector, salaries are often neither commensurate with their education and experience nor sufficient to cope with ever-rising inflation. Being the sole breadwinner of a nuclear family has become increasingly stressful and difficult. The competition for jobs continues to rise as universities produce graduates in bulk, but the government and industry fail to offer enough opportunities. What exacerbates this situation is the nepotism and alleged corruption in the job market. The emotional toll of feeling left behind, being underemployed, enduring separation from friends, and navigating a red-tape culture further intensifies the sense of alienation. This anguish is indescribable.
To add insult to injury, government proposals to freeze pensions and reduce gratuities for retiring employees only increase the mental trauma faced by government workers. These proposals, coupled with economic distress and the unstable political climate, heighten uncertainty about the future. Many worry about how they will manage household expenses post-retirement, cover unavoidable costs like their children’s weddings, or afford to buy a home. These concerns take a toll on their health, which is further exacerbated by medicine shortages, rising prices, and overstressed healthcare facilities—a subject worthy of discussion on another day.
In summary, it seems as though the youth are clinging to hope against all odds, striving to stay on course and work hard in the expectation of better days. Hopes for decreased inflation, increased employment opportunities, improved medical facilities, and the rule of law are fading. Yet, as every cloud has a silver lining, there are still those who, despite these discouraging circumstances, are doing their best to hold on to hope and persevere until better days come. When they do, they will take pride in having remained steadfast. As the famous poet Robert Frost said:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
Muhammad Muneeb ur Rehman
The write is a public servant working as the Assistant Director at the Higher Education Commission.