Pakistan faces brain drain

Many are losing faith in Pakistan's economic future

By Zaffar Abbas in Islamabad

More than two-thirds of Pakistan's adult population wants to go abroad to work, a survey by Gallup-Pakistan has found.

The survey also found that half of those who want to go abroad do not wish to return.

Gallup-Pakistan says the survey indicates that many Pakistanis are gradually losing faith in the country's economic future.

A similar survey carried out in 1984 had found only 17% Pakistanis eager to settle abroad.

Better prospects

The latest survey has strengthened the widely-held view that there has been a continuous brain drain from the country in the past decade.

Even unskilled people want to go abroad

The poll indicates that not only qualified professionals and university graduates, but even semi-skilled or unskilled workers want to leave Pakistan in search of better prospects.

About 62% of the adults interviewed for the survey said they would like to work abroad.

And as many as 38% said they would prefer to permanently settle outside the country.

The report says that a similar survey carried out by the same organisation in 1984 had showed only 17% in favour of settling outside the country.

Analysing the survey statistics, Gallup-Pakistan says the marked change is mainly the result of local economic conditions.

But despite this diminishing confidence in Pakistan's economic future, says the survey, nearly 90% of the people still take pride in being the citizen of the country.

And it goes on to say that only one per cent of the 1,500 people interviewed from across the country said they feel ashamed of calling themselves a Pakistani.