Beggars en route to Saudi Arabia offloaded at Multan airport

Arrested passengers, including women, hail from Punjab's Lodhran district

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Sunday barred a group of alleged beggars/human traffickers from travelling to Saudi Arabia on the pretext of performing Umrah at the Multan airport.

An FIA spokesperson said that eight passengers, possessing Umrah visas, were primed for their journey to Saudi Arabia. However, during the standard immigration procedure, they failed to provide substantiated reasons for their travel.

Following intense questioning by immigration officials, the passengers disclosed their true intention – to beg in the name of charity in Saudi Arabia.

The offloaded passengers hailed from Punjab's Lodhran district and comprised five men and three women. They revealed that Pakistani travel agents in Saudi Arabia were to receive them upon arrival and facilitate their begging efforts by positioning them in high-traffic pilgrimage areas.

In exchange for their “services”, the passengers were obligated to remit half of their alms collection back to the agents. Additionally, they disclosed that half of the money gathered was to be handed over to sub-agents, and they were to return to Pakistan upon the expiration of their Umrah visas.

The passengers have been transferred to the FIA Composite Circle Multan for further investigation and to face legal action.

Read FIA foils Umrah scam: Beggars arrested before departing for Saudi Arabia

The issue of gangs of professional beggars, once notorious on the streets and squares of Pakistan, has now crossed international borders and become a growing concern in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and beyond.

According to a report shared with the senators, a staggering 90 per cent of professional beggars arrested in Middle Eastern nations hail from Pakistan, and Pakistani nationals are disproportionately involved in petty crimes such as pickpocketing around the revered Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia.

During a heated meeting of the Standing Committee of Overseas Pakistanis, chaired by Senator Manzoor Kakar on Wednesday, Overseas Pakistanis Secretary Zulfikar Haider vented his frustration and raised alarm at the lack of action taken to address this escalating issue. Haider disclosed startling details about the extent of the problem and its impact on the reputation of overseas Pakistanis.

"Beggars are leaving Pakistan en masse, often travelling by boatloads, and then exploiting Umrah and visit visas to beg from pilgrims abroad," Haider revealed. He went on to express his deep concern that prisons in Iraq and Saudi Arabia are now housing a significant number of Pakistani beggars, further tarnishing the image of Pakistan abroad.