Recent discussions in Pakistan have underscored a critical skills gap that is increasingly jeopardizing the country's access to lucrative overseas job markets, particularly in Japan and South Korea. A parliamentary panel, led by Syed Rafiullah, highlighted on February 17, 2026, that despite producing nearly 800,000 university graduates annually, a significant mismatch exists between the skills these graduates possess and those demanded by global labor markets. The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development emphasized that many Pakistani degrees fail to translate into employability abroad due to issues such as the lack of internationally recognized qualifications and inadequate vocational training systems. The committee's report warns that this widening skills gap not only threatens economic growth but also risks social unrest as educated youth find themselves unemployable at home and uncompetitive abroad (Tribune Home).