Beggars throng twin cities

Following lockdown owing to coronavirus outbreak in the country, the streets and roads of the twin cities have been thronged by beggars, Business Recorder observed.
A sharp increase in the number of beggars has been witnessed on almost every road, traffic signal, and in every locality of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
From posh areas to middle-class residential areas, Business Recorder observed various people begging for ration, cash assistance and other daily-use items, saying they had become jobless over the past two weeks, and were now facing hunger.
Majority of the people interviewed by this correspondent either claimed that they were daily wagers or motor mechanics, hotel workers, labourers, laundry workers, pushcart workers or were associated with other temporary jobs.
They said that following the government announcement to financially help every jobless person, they were of the firm believe that within a few days action will be taken in this connection but now after almost two weeks of lockdown, nothing has happened, which has brought them to compromise their dignity.
A police official in Sector H-8 area of Islamabad said that over the past two weeks the police had arrested hundreds of beggars and sent them to the police station but majority of them was found to be non-professional, adding that almost all of them came to the streets due to hunger.
"We are still waiting for government help in a practical way, and have been roaming here and there in search of food but in vain," a resident of Sadiqabad area in Rawalpindi, Kabir Ahmed claiming to be a carpenter said.
It is also observed that the wives of daily wagers in the state of gloom have started knocking at the doors of others requesting provision of two times meal for their children.
Nazir Patafi, a motorcycle mechanic said that before the imposition of lockdown people like him were getting two times free of cost meal from outside Polyclinic Hospital but now all such points had also been closed, which had forced him to request others for food.
Daily wagers are without work and without food for over two weeks now but the prime minister over the past three weeks is only busy in making statements, instead of taking any practical steps, Harris Qureshi, who is associated with Foodpanda said.
Rubina Waseem, wife of a daily wager, who was seen knocking at the doors of others in Lehtrar area of Islamabad, said that "I am not a professional beggar but came out from my home to request the people to provide two time meal for my children."
"My husband is a daily wager but there has been no work for over two weeks now. Shopkeepers have also refused to give us kitchen items without money, so how could we survive in this situation," she said.
Muhammad Shakil, another daily wager said that thousands of families had stocked kitchen items for a long time but they did not have food even for a day.
"Where is the government in this difficult hour? Where should we go? And, how should we survive in this situation?" he asked.
"We are trying to, and we will follow the orders of the government and will stay at home but when will the government provide us three times meal," he asked.