Dr. Nasra Shah participated (online) as a distinguished speaker in a discussion panel organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad on “Migration in Post-COVID South Asia” on 7th December 2022. In her comments, she noted that on average, more than half a million migrant workers from Pakistan went overseas annually during the last decade. This number declined to less than half in 2020 and 2021 but has recovered to pre-covid levels. The skill level of Pakistani workers has remained persistently low for the last 50 years while the demand for such workers is declining in the major destinations, especially the Gulf region. She highlighted that Pakistan does not have an updated legislative framework to guide migration policy. A host of issues including the working and living conditions of foreign workers need to be addressed for maximizing the benefits of migration for the country as well as the migrants and their families.
Related Posts
IMF highlights ‘Gulf exposure’ as biggest external risk for Pakistan
Published in Dawn on May, 15, 2026 ISLAMABAD: Following the release of a $1.1 billion tranche for Pakistan, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has identified Pakistan’s economic exposure to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as its most acute external vulnerability. In its staff report, the lender warned that “the war weighs on the near-term outlook as Pakistan […]
Outflows Of Pakistani Workers to the Gulf States Declined by One-Third After the US-Israel-Iran War
Nasra Shah, Scientific Director, GLMM and Professor, Lahore School of Economic

