Citizens demand action against beggars

Professional beggars are having a roaring business as the police and administration seem reluctant to take any action against them. Nowadays, groups of beggars mostly women and children are seen begging in markets, shopping centers, roads and streets of the city.
The shopping malls in the town are also amongst the choicest business locations of these beggars. It is said that no ordinary beggar could do business at such sought out locations, because they are covertly ‘auctioned’ by corrupt elements in police and other related departments for large sums of money called ‘Bhatta’ (extortion).
The beggars are witness everywhere particularly in Rawalpindi. Several groups of beggars have occupied main traffic signals mainly on Benazir Bhutto Road (Murre Road) where one can see a lot of children and women thronging at vehicles asking for alms.
The beggars use new techniques to attract people as their sole purpose is to take money from them. Professional beggary is becoming a social menace as more and more beggars including physically fit, healthy and young men, women and children are turning towards this profession. Mosques and other religious places are also amongst the most profitable sources for the professional beggars.
A large number of men, women and children beg regularly at roads and streets from dawn to dusk. Mostly these are very professional and expert beggars, beg ‘indirectly’. They have many heart-wrenching stories to tell. They claim they are not professional beggars but forces to beg due to some tragedies.
These tragedies include needing money due to serious illness of self, parents or children; workplace accidents, prolonged joblessness due to one reason or another, etc. They often manage to soften the hearts of their listeners with their tragic tales told in tear-filled emotional voice. Though, several drives were launched against professional beggars in the past, but the police and authorities concerned had failed to take a serious and visible action against the professional beggars in the town. Professional beggar is considered a blemish on the face of a civilized society. It is also an indication of weakness of administration and police to implement the anti-beggary laws. The citizens said that the governments should give a serious attention to this issue and launch a massive drive against the professional beggars with the help of police, philanthropists and other social organizations.
The real deserving poor people should be provided maximum institutionalized help during this drive, while the mafias running large groups of professional beggars should be taken to the task. In Rawalpindi, especially on busy places like Benazir Bhutto Road, Committee Chowk, Mareer Chowk and sixth road chowk commuters and drivers face irritation on red lights as a large number of beggars seek financial support claiming they are not professional.
At Raja Bazaar, Saddar Bazaar, Tench Bhatta and other main shopping centers of the city beggars sometime turn nasty towards the customers. There is also a dire need of extensive community efforts to ensure a successful and result oriented drive which otherwise would not produce the wanted results.
AIOU to hold workshop of Girls Power Project from today: Allama Iqbal Open University’s Bureau for University Extension and Special Programmes will hold master trainers’ workshop of Girls Power Project (GPP) from today (Monday).
The workshop for the master trainers will continue till May 24 (Thursday). According to Workshop Coordinator Rehana S Zaman, 27 master trainers from different parts of the country will participate in the workshop. The opening ceremony will be held at the Conference Room, Sir Syed Block of the university. Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Nazir Ahmed Sangi will preside over the opening session.