Recently, the Police authorities claimed that a robust campaign against the rising trend of professional begging in twin cities had been launched in December. This resulted in the registration of 42 cases and the initiation of legal actions against 67 beggars. According to authorities, the move was aimed not only to decrease the prevalence of begging but encourage alternative means of earning a livelihood.
Begging or requesting something, usually money or goods, as a charity is considered to be an immoral act that is often done out of necessity or desperation when someone lacks basic resources or means to support himself or his family. Although, poverty has increased significantly due to prevailing socio-economic conditions and rising inflation in the country, yet the genuine cases in which an individual asks for assistance are significantly low, whereas our bazaars, markets and streets are filled with professional beggars, who often employ deceptive tactics such as crocodile tears and fake disabilities, highlight the extent to which begging has become a pervasive business. The phenomenon is not limited to a specific age or gender, as women carrying infants and young men/children resort to begging to elicit sympathy from the public. These statistics underscore the need for comprehensive measures to address the root causes of professional begging.
The curse of begging has become so gigantic issue and these figures are not in the dozens or hundreds but they are in the thousands in each city, where no market, no street, Chowk, Religious Shrine, Mosque, park or any other public place is currently immune from the prevalence of begging. The scope of the problem is so high, that the Saudi government informed the Pakistani authorities about professional beggars, who depart Pakistan to perform Humra and instead beg in Saudi Arabia during their stay in the country. Recently, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has offloaded nearly three dozen beggars from a PIA flight heading to Saudi Arabia and registered cases against them. The investigation revealed that some travel agents and recruiting firms were also involved in this hateful business.
Presently, the menace of begging is growing unhindered, as this evil has shaped into a lucrative business and certain communal groups and individuals adopted it as a profession without feeling any remorse or insult. The government of Pakistan has taken various initiatives to support the poor segment of society, to provide shelter to the homeless which includes disbursement of cash through the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) and Bait-ul-Maal, while shelter homes for orphans and homeless are also available at district level. Meanwhile, several NGOs are also providing boarding and lodging facilities to poor and homeless people in the country. Besides these endeavours, the government also started vocational training and rehabilitation programs to help address this issue by providing equal employment opportunities for all segments of society.
Begging is a complex issue influenced by socioeconomic factors, personal circumstances, and societal attitudes. Although, state-run and privately owned social support mechanisms are available in society, but certain people escape from handy work and habitual beggars. Such figures are not ready to give up this menace and continuously spoil the social environment and earn a bad name for the country. At the same time, the state institutions make false claims and do not fulfil their official responsibility in true letter and spirit. The crowds of beggars roam freely in each nook and corner of the twin cities without any fear of censure or legal prosecution.
Apparently, the task of eradicating professional begging is undoubtedly challenging, but continued determination, comprehensive strategies, and stringent measures against professional beggars could help curb this tendency in our society. The goal should be to create an environment where citizens can earn their livelihood through legitimate means, reducing dependency on begging as a source of income, so our society moves toward self-sufficiency and affluence.
