In Pakistan, we are not only losing minds to migration—we are losing motivation to neglect. Our brightest are not always leaving the country; many are checking out emotionally, intellectually, and institutionally. Why? Because brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated.
Pakistan is one of the youngest countries in the world, with over 60% of its population under 30. Yet most youth policies read like PR campaigns. Job fairs, token internships, and entrepreneurship slogans often mask the absence of real structural support. When talent is met with nepotism, sifarish, and red tape, idealism dies young.
If we truly value our youth, reform must replace rhetoric. Civil services should recruit on merit, not connections. Our ministries must stop fearing fresh ideas. Universities need to link learning with innovation, not outdated syllabi. The best way to keep young people in Pakistan is not by guilt-tripping them into patriotism—but by offering them dignity, opportunity, and trust.
The workplace is another wasteland for underappreciated minds. Whether in government departments, corporate offices, or media houses, leadership often prefers loyalty over creativity. This suffocates initiative. Promotions are handed to the obedient, while reformers are sidelined or punished. Talented individuals become silent—or cynical.
We need a leadership culture that mentors, not manages. That listens, not lectures. That recognizes the quiet competence of a principled officer or a young innovator. Reforms in police, education, and civil services must go beyond reports and committees. They must protect those who perform—not just those who conform.
At the institutional level, the need for decentralization has never been more urgent. Pakistan must seriously consider creating new administrative units and empowering local bodies to bring governance closer to people. When citizens see their ideas reflected in public policy, they participate. When institutions reward merit, they grow. Otherwise, we are left with talent in exile—either abroad or in bitter silence at home.
Pakistan does not lack brilliance. It lacks a system that respects it. If we want our best minds and bravest hearts to stay, speak up, and serve, we must learn to appreciate them—not after they leave, but while they’re still trying.
Because in the end, talent only stays where it is trusted—and ideas only bloom where they are believed in.
