Beggars flooding twin cities with Ramazan advent

With the advent of Ramazan, a number of professional beggars throng the twin cities' roads, making it impossible for the faithful to drive their vehicles. Since it is the month of charity and exhibiting generosity, hundreds of beggars surface on roads, outside mosques, in and around markets and even in parks and restaurants, leaving no space for the general public.
Another aspect of this enigma is that these professional beggars deprive the poor and deserving from Zakat and charity as they sweep away the resources while the deserving hesitate doing so. With the start of Ramazan, thousands of beggars travel towards the cities from other parts of the country, particularly from rural areas, and can be seen along roads, traffic intersections and in markets. It is comparatively more gainful for them when people tend to be more generous and give alms to the poor to seek blessings of God.
Hoards of beggars mostly women and children are seen begging in markets, shopping centres, road and streets of the city. The roundabouts of main arteries are also amongst the choicest business locations of these beggars. Public transport vehicles, especially buses, minibuses, coaches and local trains, are also amongst the most profitable sources for the professional beggars. Hundreds of men, women and children beg regularly in the public transport vehicles from dawn to dusk.
These professional beggars have many heart-wrenching stories to tell. They claim they are not professional beggars but forced to beg due to some tragedy. These tragedies include requiring money due to serious illness of self, parents or children; workplace accidents, prolonged joblessness. They often manage to soften the hearts of their listeners with their tragic tales narrated in tear-filled emotional voice.
"Sometimes beggars create an awkward situation when they start chasing shoppers in the markets and despite repeated refusals they do not give in and insist for alms," said Fouzia, a resident of F-6.
She said that the local administration should launch a campaign against professional beggars to provide a tension-free environment for shoppers, who usually find no place in the markets to get rid of them. Meanwhile, Police officials said that they were directed to launch special drive against the professional beggars; and they should not be allowed to gather out side the worship places.
The citizens urged that the governments at the city and provincial level should give a serious attention to this issue and launch a massive drive against the professional beggars with the help of police, philanthropists and city society organisations.