a motorcycle when I was trying to run back to the median.” His accomplice said that the bruise he received on his face at that time helped him to earn more money for many days.
Naseem usually earns Rs500 per day. “I give all to my parents,” he said. They are seven brothers and sisters. Famous as a tough guy among NCPC kids, Naseem wants to join army when he grows up.
Nasir, 11, another boy from Naseem’s neighbourhood, shared the rest of the story with ‘The News’. He openly talked about the mafia that controls Islamabad beggars.
He said that different areas are controlled by big boys who give bribe to management and on duty security officials. “These boys are merciless and keep roaming around in that area. If you try to sell anything or beg in their area, they beat you up or call police and get you arrested,” he said adding that only Super Market is no one’s area and controlled by the management. “But they don’t allow anyone to sell or beg.”
Nasir recently joined this group of children on street. Before that, he was studying in a madrrassa. “My parents wanted me to study. The madrassa was free but the maulvi was cruel. He used to beat us a lot,” Poor Nasir tried to tell his parents but they did not listen to him. When beating became unbearable, he stopped going to madrassa.
“It made my parents angry for a few days but their punishment was nothing as compared to what I had to bear in the madrassa.” The NPC officials said that they receive many cases in which children run away from madrassas because of the same reason.
Interestingly, he wanted to become a maulvi in future. May be because maulvi was the only power figure he came across in his life. “But I will become a good maulvi and would be kind to my students,” he said innocently.
According to NCPC officials, these playful boys from the streets of Islamabad are immensely talented. “They are good singers and dancers. They usually possess mobile phones full of songs. Their management skills are extraordinary. The older brother takes care of the sister. Once we came across the boy of 12 years who used to manage group of children which involves keeping an eye on them, protecting them from any danger, feeding them and keeping them together,” said Director NCPC Muhammad Yousaf Shah.
He said that usually the whole family is involved in this kind of beggary but parents also want their children to have better life. He said that NCPC field staff held meetings with the families of such children and after continuous awareness session and effective mobilisation, parents agreed to send their children in NCPC for non-formal education. “Some of them even cried when we were convincing them to educate their children and make them a better human being,” he said.