ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday expressed concern that organised begging had damaged Pakistan’s international standing and led Gulf countries to impose visa restrictions on Pakistani nationals.
In a post on X, the minister shared a video by renowned social worker Zafar Abbas, showing an interview with a child beggar in Karachi’s Shah Faisal area. In the video, the child claimed that he and his two brothers earn between Rs10,000 and Rs12,000 per week through begging and had recently purchased a house.
Commenting on the footage, Asif said begging had evolved into a fully organised profession, run by contractors who recruit children, women and people posing as disabled, earning millions of rupees in the process.
He alleged that the same networks were responsible for sending thousands of beggars to Gulf countries, forcing host nations — frustrated by the situation — to restrict or suspend visas for Pakistanis.
The defence minister further claimed that officials from various government departments stationed at airports were complicit in this “disgraceful business”, benefiting financially from the illegal activity.
Referring to Sialkot, Asif said many beggars originate from South Punjab, stay in hotels and operate organised begging rings in the city. While recent crackdowns by the district administration and police had reduced the activity, he said it had not been eliminated.
He added that contractors running these networks were often financially influential individuals who approach authorities for relief whenever action is taken against beggars. Asif remarked that organised begging had effectively become the country’s “largest employment sector”, stressing that such operations could not function without the backing of local administration and police.
Warning that several immoral and criminal activities were linked to organised begging, the minister described it as a serious social and law-enforcement challenge.
His remarks came amid media reports claiming the UAE was considering a visa ban on Pakistanis over rising cases of begging. However, the UAE Consulate General in Karachi denied the reports, calling them “fake news”, and said no such ban had been imposed.
In December last year, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Riffat Mukhtar told a National Assembly standing committee that 56,000 Pakistanis involved in organised begging had been deported from Saudi Arabia.
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