Illusion of Reality
Illusion of Reality: Two years after coming to power, the government’s economic team continues to promise prosperity. They describe an economy full of opportunity and growth. Political spin is common, but the gap between claims and reality is wide. Even the World Bank admits that poverty and inequality have increased in recent years.
False Recovery
The ruling class often highlights foreign remittances as proof of success. Officials present money sent by overseas Pakistanis as a major achievement. They suggest remittances show economic recovery. This claim does not match the daily struggles of working people.
Remittance figures appear impressive. In 2024, overseas Pakistanis sent about $34 billion home. This equals nearly 10 percent of Pakistan’s GDP. It places Pakistan among the top remittance-dependent countries. Families spend most of this money on daily needs. Some goes into real estate and small businesses.
Migrant Reality
These numbers hide a difficult reality. Most Pakistanis abroad work in low-skilled and insecure jobs. Many work in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. They often face poor conditions, racism, and strict control. Migration to the Gulf helped many rural families in the past. However, demand for migrant labor has declined over time.
Many high-skilled Pakistanis also live abroad. Some left years ago, while others continue to leave today. They often invest in real estate. They move money between speculative projects. This explains why many housing plots remain empty.
Desperate Migration
Migration has increased across all skill levels. In 2025, more than 760,000 Pakistanis officially left the country. The real number is likely higher. Many leave on student visas and never return. Others migrate without visas through smuggling networks. These groups promise jobs in Europe. Many migrants disappear or get stranded along the way. Families spend large sums to bring them home. Some smuggling networks operate with help from state officials.
Exporting Labour
Praising remittances ignores these hardships. The flow of money reflects economic failure, not success. People leave because they see no future at home. Even those from well-off families now choose to migrate.
Labour has become Pakistan’s biggest export. It now exceeds any physical product. This trend will likely continue. Despite talk of boosting exports, the government relies on short-term loans. It promotes luxury consumption. It also supports aggressive resource extraction.
Jobless Growth
The state organizes conferences on minerals and modern agriculture. Officials promise transformation and growth. These plans focus on investors, not workers. They serve capital rather than labour.
Each year, four million young people enter the job market. Job opportunities continue to shrink. As work disappears, more people try to leave the country. Emigration now approaches one million people a year.
Environmental Damage
Remittance-receiving sectors create few jobs. Real estate causes serious harm. It creates little employment and fuels land and water grabs. It also speeds up environmental damage. Small businesses support the informal economy. However, they cannot replace large-scale industry. Repression cannot hide the failure of this and past governments to support Pakistan’s young working population.
Published in Dawn,30th January 2026
