As the holy month of Ramadan fast approaches, groups of beggars comprising mainly of women, children and old men, have been flocking the markets, shopping malls, signals and streets in the city. According to shoppers in various markets, these beggars are using new tactics to gain people’s attention. Huma Asif, a visitor at Commercial Market Rawalpindi, told APP “Beggary has now emerged as a business, as the general public mostly believes that the inability of authorities to control beggars reflects that there is a strong mafia behind the beggars.”
Instead of getting donations from people, beggars’ constant forceful tactics some times create nuisances for the public, who feel attacked by their offensive behaviour. The beggars start approaching people from 6th Road Chowk, and their groups continue to follow people into Commercial Market.
“The interruptions by beggars becomes unbearable while shopping in the
Commercial Market and main markets of the city, and their common tactics create a nuisance,” said Sana Irum, another visitor at Abpara Market.
Common kinds of beggars include groups of women carrying infants, young men with bandaged limbs, middle-aged men displaying disabilities, barefoot children, she-males and others selling low quality products.”These beggars sometimes create horrible situations by holding the arms of people and forcing them to give money at any cost, and when they are refused they use offensive or abusive language,” said a shopkeeper at Karachi Company.
“We are happy that the holy month of Ramazan is arriving. It is the best month for us to make extra money,” said a beggar at Melody Market.
When contacted, an Islamabad Capital Territory Administration official said that the administration has decided to launch a special drive against the seasonal beggars in the city and that they will not be allowed to enter the capital.
