Pakistan is experiencing a deepening national crisis as its ruling elite reportedly accumulates wealth and secures escape routes abroad, while nearly 100 million citizens remain trapped in acute multidimensional poverty, according to a report by the Centre for Peace Studies. The findings, authored by Imran Khurshid, Associate Research Fellow at the Centre, paint a stark picture of institutional decay, military dominance, and political misrule accelerating Pakistan's slide toward what the report describes as a 'breaking point.'

Scale of the Exodus

Official figures presented to Pakistan's National Assembly show that more than 317,000 Pakistanis left the country for employment abroad in just the first half of 2026 alone. Between 2024 and 2026, over 1.87 million citizens migrated, according to the report. The scale of departures signals not just an economic squeeze but a broader collapse of confidence in the state's ability to deliver stability or opportunity.

Federal audits reported on 5 October revealed that more than 2,500 active federal officers hold dual nationality, with hundreds of senior bureaucrats allegedly concealing foreign assets. Portugal has emerged as a preferred destination for Pakistan's elite, the report noted, with residency-by-investment schemes drawing high-ranking officials seeking a secure exit.

Elite Impunity and Political Response

Pakistan's own Defence Minister Khawaja Asif acknowledged the scale of the problem, stating: 'They [bureaucrats] prepared for this while they were employed by the Government of Pakistan, doing so under a deliberate plan. This raises questions about their commitment to their homeland and their jobs during their tenure.'

The report also highlighted that Pakistan's Senate passed the Passports (Amendment) Bill, 2026, on 19 October, permanently granting retired parliamentarians and senators the right to retain gratis official blue passports for life — a move critics argue entrenches elite privilege even as ordinary citizens face austerity driven by IMF conditions.

Separately, the government of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif acquired a Gulfstream G500 private jet valued at between $38 million and $42 million, according to the report — a purchase that has drawn sharp scrutiny given the country's fiscal constraints.

Military's Role and Resource Extraction

The report is particularly pointed about the Pakistani military's economic footprint. 'The military makes enormous amounts of money by running Pakistan like a real estate company,' Khurshid wrote. Under General Asim Munir, the military is reportedly engaged in aggressive extraction of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's rare-earth minerals and critical metals through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).

'This rapid resource exploitation allows the military to embezzle most of the profits, leaving the local population with nothing but environmental destruction, disease, and only a small fraction of the wealth,' the report stated. This comes amid violent insurgencies reportedly spanning Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Sindh.

Poverty, Hunger, and Global Rankings

According to the UNDP 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, nearly 100 million Pakistanis are trapped in acute multidimensional poverty. Up to 7.5 million rural citizens are experiencing acute hunger. The report also noted that Pakistan has topped the Global Terrorism Index 2026 for the first time, becoming the world's most terrorism-affected country — a designation that compounds investor anxiety and diplomatic isolation.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan remains detained at Adiala Jail, according to the report, as political polarisation deepens alongside the security and economic crises. The report's conclusion is unambiguous: 'A country cannot sustain itself indefinitely when its elite accumulates the means to escape while its citizens are denied the means to live with dignity.'

What Lies Ahead

The report offers no immediate resolution, and the structural forces it identifies — military economic dominance, elite capital flight, and IMF-imposed austerity borne by ordinary citizens — show few signs of abating. How Pakistan navigates its next IMF review, manages escalating internal insurgencies, and addresses the accountability deficit among its civil and military leadership will be closely watched by regional observers, including India.