The series of arrests of beggars in Pakistan and abroad is now increasing to a shameful extent which strict measures have to be taken to prevent it otherwise the country’s scandal will increase. The tragedy is that fearless beggars pretend to be pilgrims from the Holy Hijaz and Iraqi pilgrims and carry out this abomination.
Yesterday, 11 passengers who went to beg under the guise of performing Umrah were arrested at Karachi Airport. According to the spokesperson of FIA Immigration conducted an operation at Karachi Airport and arrested 11 passengers who went to beg under the guise of Umrah. They were going abroad with the intention of begging. The accused were going to Saudi Arabia on Umrah visa through flight number PK711.
The arrested accused include Shahid, Mujahid, Zafar and 8 women, who belong to Punjab. The return tickets presented by the accused turned out to be fake, while the hotel bookings shown by the accused were also fake. According to preliminary investigation the accused were going to Saudi Arabia for begging.
The accused have been transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for further legal action. In the meantime the FIA has decided to crack down on the mafia that sends beggars to Saudi Arabia and action is being taken against the travel agents involved. Strict action is being taken against the travel agents mafia who provide tickets and visas to beggars going to Saudi Arabia.
That mafia is spoiling the image of the country. In this regard surveillance has been started to take action against such travel agents in the KP, including Peshawar. On the other hand the shops of travel agents who provide visas and tickets to beggars coming from Punjab will be sealed. While monitoring of men, women and children is going on in different areas of the province including Peshawar.
It should be remembered that now friendly countries have also started complaints. On the one hand, Saudi Arabia has demanded action against the Pakistani beggar mafia under the guise of Umrah and Hajj while on the other hand the Iraqi authorities also expressed their strong displeasure against the Pakistani beggar mafia under the guise of pilgrims and demanded strict action against the people involved.
In that regard additional Director Mohammad Saeed Memon, former head of Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Quetta, has prepared a 22-page report and sent it to the in-charges of Taftan and Gabd check posts and other high officials.
The report revealed that Pakistani pilgrims go to Iran and Iraq throughout the year, but especially last year, 72,000 of the Pakistani pilgrims who went to Iran on Ashura and Arbaeen did not return to Pakistan and possibly went to Iraq or went further to Istanbul and Greece illegally.
The report has further said regarding the Pakistani beggars, the Iraqi authorities strongly protested to the Pakistani embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They demanded effective action and said that at the moment there are 66 beggar women in Iraq with the same number of children. According to the report three hundred thousand US dollars have been spent on the accommodation and food of the arrested illegal pilgrims and their deportation to Pakistan.
So far 21 Pakistanis have been given severe sentences for drug trafficking. The report further revealed that the staff at the check posts have a good idea of who is a genuine visitor and who is not. Staff also have contacts with human traffickers and tour operators.
The staff charges Rs 5,000 to 10,000 per person for letting in non-visitors, excluding genuine pilgrims. It is further written that human traffickers in particular become more active during Ashura and Arbaeen and make genuine visas for those who want to go to Europe to go on pilgrimages to Iran or Iraq it legally allow them to go on pilgrimages that cannot be stopped but once they are identified it can be reduced by scanning their faces and imprisoning them or putting them on the rate list forever. While special legislation is needed for this.
In this regard both the Ministry of Interior and Foreign Affairs also need to plan how to ban these beggars who defame the country from going abroad. If the government fails to take steps in this regard then what can be expected from it?
