Rawalpindi-The professional beggars in Rawalpindi started a move in the local markets and roadsides ahead of Eid ul Fitr to collect alms.
The groups of beggars mostly women, children and old men, have crowded the markets, shopping malls, signals and streets for grabbing money, which people give as charity.
According to shoppers in markets, these beggars use new tactics to gain attention of the people for the purpose of getting money by getting sympathy in the name of religion.
“The concept of beggary is now emerged as a business as mostly the general public believes that inability of authorities concerned to control beggars reflects that there is a strong mafia behind the beggars,” said a resident of Commercial market. The beggars start annoying people from Sixth Road Chowk while their groups continue chasing people in Commercial market as those visiting the market describe them as a complex issue that seems out of control now.
Mostly the people consider giving alms as a religious obligation and the beggars arise their sentiments to take advantage of getting more charity from them. City Traffic Police Officer (CTO) Bin Ashraf said that a comprehensive campaign has been launched to arrest the professional beggars.
He said that special squad has been deployed to keep watch on professional beggars, adding, the City Traffic Police making all out efforts to discourage this increasing trend.