by begging,” said Habib.
“Now begging has transformed into a lucrative business and a strong mafia, with the support of police, manages the beggars in the city at public spots such as traffic signals in affluent areas including DHA and Clifton,” he maintained.
Beggars also create nuisances. Groups of women with crying infants and barefoot children can be seen at almost all markets in the city.
Shopkeepers and customers complain that beggars have made shopping difficult. Sometimes they grab shoppers’ arms to demand money.
“When someone refuses, they use offensive language,” said Abdul Rasheed, a shopkeeper in the Tariq Road area.
“People should give zakat and fitra to genuine charity organizations like the Edhi Foundation, instead of giving them to professional beggars,” he added.
“This is encouraging the begging mafia.”
A traffic officer at the Punjab Colony signal said his duty had become difficult because beggars were at the risk of being run over while they were at traffic signals asking drivers for money.
Action against beggars
Traders and activists have demanded that the government should launch a campaign against beggars during Ramazan.
Recently, provincial police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo had ordered all zonal DIGs to start a crackdown against professional beggars in the city during Ramazan.
“The presence of beggars across the city poses a risk and can result in a security lapse if appropriate action is not taken,” said Thebo.
However, traders and activists have not seen any action against beggars on the ground.
Violating child rights
Child rights activists have expressed their concern about a recent surge in the number of children begging.
“This surge during Ramazan is evidence of organised begging cartels using children to make money during the holy month,” said Habib.
“It definitely violates the survival and development rights of children,” he added.
Child activists say extreme poverty sets the stage for such trends. Begging cartels, for a sum, offer to take children off needy families’ hands and take them to Karachi to collect as much donations as possible, especially during Ramazan.
“Begging rackets give a portion of the collected donations to the children,” explained Habib.
“Children are dropped off at the begging points early in the morning and then picked up at night.”