Highly-organised beggary has attained the form of a mafia interrelated with prostitution and narcotics in Gujranwala, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Pakistan Today learnt that beggars have highly organised business network with area allocation which is allotted through monetary deals with the influential people governing this mafia.
Saifullah, a beggar who is the resident of Bahawalnagar but working in Gujranwala along with his family said, “Whenever we come in another area we are always inquired by contractors working for the influential people and grant permission to beg in their area after the monetary deal of giving half the share of what we earn their through begging.” He said some areas like Gujranwala by-pass, Satellite town market, Model Town market and Sailkoti Gate were only allotted to old employees who had been begging on their behalf for many years.
“I have been working for Asmat who is the head of this hidden business in Gujranwala for last five years and I am working in the Southern region of Gujranwala city.” He said, “My area starts from Chanda Qilla and after passing through various main areas of the city including Khiali, Alam Chowk, Awan Chowk, Rahwali by-pass, small state and go all the way back to Chanda Qilla. He said his whole family was addicted to “booti” and “we also sometimes transport drugs given to us by our heads”.
He said he knew many beggars who were involved in production, packing and sale of the narcotics on the instructions of their heads working for hidden mafia governing this network.
He said beggars were given duties according to a pattern as the handicapped were given important areas and they were mostly permanent working for heads in their respective localities. He said handicapped beggars were provided with a separate person if needed to drag the cart. He said “they are mostly involved in sale of narcotics and whenever they get into some problem their heads step in to solve it. He said sometime “Child Protection Bureau takes our children and we sent message to our head Asmat who solves the problem and after that our children are never taken by the bureau again”.
Saima, 28, is the resident of Rajistan and works in Gujranwala as a beggar. She told Pakistan Today that she was alone and had no family member, adding that she worked with Naseem, her broker who forced her into prostitution and to sell narcotics.
“He gets his share from our earned money whether through prostitution or beggary,” she said, adding that there were hundreds of women like her who were involved in prostitution and drug trafficking on the instructions of their head.
She said, “We don’t know the exact residence or the dera of our head but there is a complete hierarchy in this industry… but I am working for Naseer who is managing the northern part of Gujranwala.”
Gujranwala CPO Ahsan Tufail while talking to Pakistan Today said “No doubt beggars are mostly seen involved in crimes but to fight this mafia the common man needs to help police to trace the network.” He said people should support the police by contributing information. He said, “Unfortunately due to lack of resources police cannot do anticipatory work.”
