Number of beggars has increased over the past few years, because of the involvement of beggar mafia
KARACHI: Life in a metropolitan city like Karachi is fast and exciting but the presence of beggars on every road and traffic signal makes it difficult and gloomy. Locals and often foreigners are left frustrated and irritated by their experiences with them. The number of beggars has increased over the past few years, because of the involvement of the beggar mafia, and numerous children are part of it now.
The large-scale involvement of children in this evil trade is a dangerous sign and indicates that the problem will not be ending in the near future. These children will continue to beg for the rest of their lives and due to their numbers, pose a more serious issue than the older beggars. When these children grow up, many of them resort to crimes such as pickpocketing as they do not know any other skills.
It is high time the government took strict action against professional beggars. It is not enough to put up a few posters reading ‘giving money to beggars is a punishable crime’. In fact, beggars carrying out their trade in front of the traffic police is nothing short of a mockery.
Fatima Ehtisham
Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2019.
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