It was just another morning as I set to depart for a day at the office, after finding that regular routes were closed and public transport practically unavailable due to the auspicious Youm-e- Ali.
Therefore, grabbing a Bykea ride from a nearby motorcyclist stand remained the only viable option. As we begun the whole bargaining charade, one well-dressed middle-aged man offered me the best deal and we set off together for my daily journey towards the office.
As we traversed through the narrow city lanes, we resorted to small talk to pass the time. To my surprise, I found that the biker, Muhammad Amjad, had been working as a salesman at a shopping center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), until last year.
However, in early January, Amjad came back to Pakistan, albeit not on a happy note, as he had been deported from the Gulf country on the suspicion of being involved in begging and its associated mafia.
Amjad, a father of three and the primary breadwinner for an extended family, has since been struggling to make ends meet, and is compelled to do random jobs including working as a painter as well as a Bykea rider.
“Life was hard in the Emirates but the package was good, I was earning enough for my family to manage the household expenses. Since returning back to Pakistan, it’s been a struggle to pay my childrens’ school fees and meeting basic amenities,” Amjad said as he struggled to control his emotions and began cursing beggars standing at a nearby traffic signal.
“These beggars are nothing but a mafia, causing humiliation to our country and taking away jobs from the needy”, he exclaimed as he dropped me off to work.
The interaction although brief stuck with me throughout the day as stories of beggars from Pakistan creating such ruckus abroad filled my mind.
Just last month, a report published in Business Recorder revealed that hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis were unable to perform Umrah during the last Ashrah of Ramazan, due to severe restrictions imposed by the Saudi authorities on the issuance of Umrah visas during the holy month.
The severe visa restrictions imposed by the kingdom, were reportedly in response to concerns over begging activities by Pakistani nationals. This triggered widespread cancellations of pre-booked flights and hotel accommodations put local tour operators into severe financial strain.
The humiliation just didn’t end there. In a similar incident but this time in the UAE, it was reported that 10 Pakistani nationals were arrested, including five women, for begging.
These are not just isolated incidents, as one should remember that this begging phenomenon is not new. Back in 2023, a government committee was informed that a staggering 90% of beggars arrested in foreign countries were of Pakistani origin.
These beggars were found exploiting pilgrim visas to travel to Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq.
Such regular incidents are alarming for the South Asian country, which is critically dependent on remittances sent by Pakistanis working and living in these countries.
More so, they do no good in enhancing Pakistan’s reputation internationally. We are regularly mocked by our rivals especially India, who is more than happy to use such incidents in propagating how bad things are in Pakistan.
Although no one is discounting the fact that the economic situation in our country is not good, as it remains under an IMF programme and is very much dependent on the assistance of foreign lenders.
It is important to note that the rise of this international ‘beggar mafia’ has less to do with poor economic conditions in the country, and more to do with being a business opportunity – and a very lucrative one, at that. One that is only concerned with making profits with no regard for repercussions, which has been embraced by the criminal elements of the country.
A travel agent, on condition of anonymity, said that there are dozens of travel agencies in Karachi alone that work in collusion with these ‘begging mafias’, and are responsible for sending them to Gulf countries especially during holy months.
“The return on investment in such activities is just exponential,” informed the travel agent. “One can earn millions of rupees in a matter of weeks, and all you need is to have your return tickets.
“Despite all the risks, there are many willing to take the job. Thus the earnings keep the business running.”
So, what can be done? Although authorities have ramped up efforts to manage this issue, in February, the Senate passed three bills aimed at strengthening the crackdown on human traffickers, individuals who travel abroad to engage in begging and the prevention of illegal immigration.
The bills include the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Emigration (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
However, much needs to be done as a multi-pronged strategy is needed to deal with this complex issue.
Alongside stringent law enforcement against trafficking, and organized begging, the Pakistani government needs to partner with international agencies and work on enhancing border control and immigration checks to tackle the exploitation of the begging populace.
This could be achieved by strengthening the legal framework, improving the available social services, creating public education programs, and collaborating with international agencies. Additionally, poverty alleviation alongside provision of adequate long-term employment would enable these individuals to become less susceptible to such activities.
Only by addressing both the immediate exploitation of vulnerable individuals and the broader socio-economic factors that lead to such problems can Pakistan start to address this issue and save its citizens from further international embarrassment.
The article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Business Recorder or its owners
The writer is the Head of Business Desk at Business Recorder (Digital)
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