From Pakistan’s cyber streets to global suites | Political Economy

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N May 10, the mainstream media reported that a cybertack through Pakistan’s cyber team under Operation Bonn Um-Mars has caused a massive outage of power, causing 70 % of India’s sinking in the dark. According to these reports, Pakistani hackers successfully violated India’s grid system, which disabled significant infrastructure and disrupted military intelligence operations.

It was not all. One day before the blackout, on May 9, a group of Pakistani hackers voluntarily launched a cyber campaign called Operation Salar. He successfully violated and damaged several government websites, identifying another bold step in Pakistan’s growing digital counter of. The campaign sent a clear message: Pakistan’s sovereignty, national honor, and digital borders should not be challenged.

The news went viral online, consumers are pleasing hackers as Pakistan’s mini robbery team. There were real young people behind the screen, sitting in residential rooms of Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi, coding overnight.

Pakistani youths not only own innumerable abilities and skills, but they have also demonstrated irrevocable commitment to their country. Between May 7 and 11, this became clear, when they fought with the facts, eliminated fake statements and promoted patriotic messaging in the platforms, and turned social media into a digital defense front.

There are more than 230 million people in Pakistan, of which about 64 % are under 30 years. According to UNDP, it has the youngest population in the world.

In the events of global technology such as Gatex Dubai, Pakistani students often perform more than the majority of the AI, CyberScript and robotics competitions. From freelancing and coding boot campuses to Olympiads and Hikathon, they permanently showcase their abilities, often with no structure. Many people in this group are packing their bags quietly.

According to the Bureau of Migration and abroad, 727,381 Pakistanis migrated abroad for employment in 2024. Economic instability, limited opportunities and political uncertainty all play an important role in this trend.

This migration is often labeled as a brain drain. This means bleeding with intellect and skill. But there is another way to see this: If we plan for it, the brain can be the benefit of the brain.

India considered it quickly. Since the late 1990s, it has invested much in the global educational partnership, which offered scholarships to luminous students through government -run funds, such as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. These students were encouraged to study at Elite Universities abroad and are linked to advanced firms through made visa programs and internship pipelines.

India’s long -term planning is clear globally, as a leader like Sunder Pachai in Google, Arvind Krishna in IBM, Shantano Narayan in Adobe and Nakish Arora in Palo Alto Networks. Their success is the result of decades of strategic steps, investment in education and strong Daspura support.

If India can turn the brain into a soft power, why not Pakistan?

Pakistan should stop hiding its bright minds behind broken systems, outdated policies and structural neglect. Instead of asking them to live in a place, we must ask how the country can travel with them through shared values, a compelling vision and a collective sense of purpose.

The question is not whether talent should be left or left. The real question is what we are doing with this skill, regardless of where it lives. Even if a portion of young people leaving Pakistan was guided to serve as informal ambassadors, through their daily partnership in innovation, leadership and cultural engagement, they could give global board rooms, research labs, policy circles and creative industries.

Sakib Ahmed, Country Director for Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Bahrain, says that global migration of youth is not a blow, it is an unused benefit. “Our young people are capable. They are already earning global respect through quality work.” “Young Pakistanis have a lot of potential. Pakistan is a flexible and complicated nation. If they are guided and properly trained, I have no doubt that in the development of developing global IT land, we will see that the CEO of Pakistan will not be in the role of the international leadership.

This vision requires a fundamental change in view. Instead of seeing the migration as a failure, it should be viewed as an opportunity to create a network, transfer knowledge and to reveal Pakistan’s intellectual capital globally. Countries like South Korea and China have successfully built economic and technical bridges through their Daspura. If it reaches this issue with intention and structure, then Pakistan can do the same.

The government and the private sector should imagine how the scholarship is awarded. Instead of looking as a means of binding students to return, they can be prepared as a soft diplomacy tool. Students traveling abroad should be encouraged to become a bridge between countries, involved in internships, joint research and cultural exchange, which positively reflect the values ​​and capabilities of Pakistan.

Professional networks of Pakistani Daspura should be actively developed. These networks can serve as think tanks, incubators or teachers platforms, which connect successful Pakistanis abroad with emerging capabilities.

For those who want to come back from far away or to cooperate, the state should offer meaningful privileges. This may include tax benefits, research funding or business grants. Many skilled professionals are willing to share from abroad-guide the startup, guide the co-founder plans or innovation. They often face institutional obstacles that discourage such cooperation.

There is also a need to invest in cultural capital. Pakistan should be proud of its success stories and promote them actively. Through government media, foreign missions and international forums, the achievements of Pakistanis should be highlighted. Every story of a young Pakistani globally is not just a moment of pride. It is also an inspiration and statement about the future of the country.

Past stories about cyber victories or anonymous hackers are easy to scroll. It is very difficult to recognize the depth of skills that we are failing to support. The youth of Pakistan are not only technically capable. They are also intelligent, globally aware and hungry for influence. They are waiting to be able.

Pakistan should stop hiding its bright minds behind broken systems, outdated policies and structural neglect. Instead of asking them to live in a place, we must ask how the country can travel with them through shared values, a compelling vision and a collective sense of purpose.

Brain drain is the loss only when we let it happen. This can be the most intelligent investment we have ever – an investment that, with the right point of view, can turn Pakistan’s global capabilities into its greatest power.

The author is an independent journalist. She can reach tweets/ posts besismarafique and on it: Rafiquebisma00@gmail.com.