When I got admission in the UET Lahore, I was very happy that I would get a good job easily. The UET is a high-merit institution where only the toppers of different institutions get admitted. Unbeknownst to me, that scenario had changed. The UET engineer are often unemployed now a days because of government policies that have badly affected the careers of engineers. Many engineering universities are producing engineers every year but some of the graduates of the last three sessions of the UET engineers are still unemployed. The engineering companies are facing problems like electricity and gas shortages or unaffordable taxes that are not conducive to running of their businesses. They have stopped hiring of fresh engineers. Some companies do offer employment opportunities to engineers even now but they are few and far between and a lot depends upon strong references. If you have no strong reference, you cannot get a good job. That is why I am still unemployed. Our senior engineers are working in different companies but they get very few increments in their salaries and even that are not indexed to inflation. Every experienced, as well as fresh engineer has a desire to work in the Gulf region because of good opportunities there. Other countries of the region are generally disturbed by the economic crisis. Pakistan, though, is mainly disturbed by bad government policies. Many companies, especially in the textile sector, have shifted to Bangladesh because of cheap electricity, skilled labour and favourable government policies. Pakistani govt must provide better facilities to companies if it wishes to compete internationally. -SYED AATIR MANSOOR, Lahore, January 28.