Islamabad - Islamabad Capital Territory police arrested more than three thousand beggars from the capital during the year 2017, but the menace is still far from being eliminated.
According to data compiled by local police, a total of 3192 beggars including children, girls, women, men and eunuchs were arrested. Many among them were sent to welfare and rehabilitation centers, including the Edhi Home. Cases of around 845 adult beggars were sent to the courts concerned for legal action.
The data showed that the police’s City Circle made 1241 arrests in the year. Aabpara police arrested 134 beggars, Women police station arrested 536, Secretariat police 15, Kohsar police 378, Bhara Kahu police 124 and Bani Gala police made 54 arrests. Similarly, Sadar Circle made 1306 arrests. Margalla police arrested 468 beggars, Karachi Company police 168, Golra police 31, Tarnol police 13, Shalimar police 283 and Ramana police made 343 arrests.
Industrial Area Circle made 452 arrests in the campaign against beggary. Industrial Area police arrested 367 beggars, Sabzi Mandi police 48, Shams Colony police 24 and Noon police made 13 arrests.
The number of arrests made by the Industrial Area Circle does not reflect the police’s effort to curb the menace as the areas comprising the Circle including Mandi Morr, ‘Double Road’ stop at the IJP road, and Sabzi Mandi are considered hub of professional beggars.
The Rural Circle police stations arrested 193 beggars during the previous year. Shahzad Town police arrested 38 beggars, Khanna police 39, Koral police 37, Nilore 0, Sihala police 25 and Lohi Bher made 54 arrests during the period. Out of the arrested beggars, 24 eunuchs, 434 women, and 387 men were challaned. A total of 29 girls and 45 boys were sent to child centres of the city. Around 34 eunuchs, 305 girls, 531 boys, 655 women and 748 men were sent to Edhi home, according to the data.
The beggar mafia is active at junctions, markets, traffic signals and roads of the federal capital while the administration seems helpless in dealing with them. Several anti-beggary measures have been taken but they could not achieve much in getting rid of this organized business. There are reports that mafia members drop off handicapped persons and children in vehicles to beg in the markets to target customers for cash. They are picked up in the evening after a long day of begging. However, professional beggars often fake mental and physical disabilities to get charity. They pretend to be legless, feign inability to walk and use slurred speech.
The kids are subjected to bigger brutality because their body parts are deliberately amputated. This helps to gain sympathies of those passing by and encourages them to give cash to the disabled children.
There are also reports that some of these beggars including women and children are rented. The ‘contractor’ pays for the whole year services in advance to the family members of the rented beggars and can deploy them at city roads for begging. Street begging has become a profession now as it is an easy way of earning money.