Sir: One of the most humiliating and difficult professions to adopt is beggary. It needs courage and tolerance to accept disdain, contempt, insulting remarks and abuse from other fellow beings. However, once these are taken for granted, they drift in personalities like a parasite and travel along generation after generation. Amongst the 180 million citizens of Pakistan, 25 million are professional beggars: this figure is alarming. It is increasing day by day. The majority of beggars are Afghan refugees, including many who lost their limbs in war. These beggars live in well-organised communities, adhering to their own customs, rules and regulations. Mostly people who adopt this profession think it is an easy way to earn money, although the truth cannot be further from that. NADEEM ALI WAGAN Karachi