Maria Imran 
Brain drain has turned out to be one of the gravest socioeconomic predicaments of Pakistan, with thousands of skilled professionals seeking improved opportunities in other nations every year. The innovation capacity and the growth potential of Pakistan are on the verge of decline due to high brain drain, where engineers, doctors, IT specialists, and researchers are moving out of the country daily. The lack of availability of job opportunities, a politically unstable environment, inadequate payment, and underfunding of the research are contributing factors to the Pakistan brain drain crisis. Pakistan can lose its competitive edge, as there can be no effective strategies for retaining labor in the country, because of the rise in demand for skilled labor in the world market. The problem of brain drain crisis in Pakistan needs to be addressed in order to establish a robust economy and ensure sustainable development in Pakistan.
Why Pakistan Must Act Now to Retain Talent
Brain drain crisis in Pakistan is not just a problem of migration but also depicts a bit of structural problems within the economy. Some of the causes of this trend are poor administration, lack of meritocracy in development, and poor investment in education. To solve the crisis that Pakistan is facing of brain drain, the policymakers should create good-quality employment opportunities, use start-ups, increase wages, and empower institutions. Incentives to retain professionals who have gone abroad, partnerships between the government and the business community, and research grants are also able to contain the brain drain crisis in Pakistan. The retention of the young talent will give Pakistan an opportunity to leverage its demographic power to achieve an economic capacity and development that is based on innovation.
