Daily Times

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration is taking strict action against professional beggars and their handlers to curb the menace from society but in no time, they have returned to the hotspots without any fear.

Talking to APP a source on condition of anonymity said that professional beggars earn between Rs1000 to 2000 and after facing legal action they return to their hotspots as beggary is an easy task for them. He said hotspots of beggars in Islamabad include Jinnah Super Market, Aabpara, Karachi Company, Blue Area, I-10 Markaz, F-11 Markaz, G-11 Markaz, F-10, traffic signals and suburbs.

A citizen, Abdul Hameed said that beggars adopt different tactics including selling pens, books and flowers in their hands to avoid police raids. He said professional beggars are mostly located outside restaurants, public transport terminals, shopping malls, traffic signals. He said beggars usually target the people who come out after having a meal from the restaurants and those who are busy eating in the open air. ICT Spokesperson Abdullah Tabassum said that Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon has ordered the authorities concerned to take strict action against the professional beggars and their handlers. “If a child is found begging he would be sent to the Edhi Center while a case will be registered against others under the Islamabad Prevention of Beggary Act”, he informed.

Health expert Dr Mahmood ur Rehman said most beggars are habitual and would return to their job after facing legal action, adding that proper rehabilitation and mind training for beggars is necessary to curb the menace. He said mental health experts and psychologists can address the problem of beggary by providing mind training and applying habit-reforming strategies. He said the success ratio of mind programming is 40 to 60 percent after counseling sessions. He said beggars should also be given skill training which would enable them to earn bread respectfully and bar them from returning to the beggary.