Beggars swarm Saddar

Rawalpindi : Different groups of beggars including women and children are now quite active in the Saddar market due to which visitors feel so awkward to deal with them sometimes in the middle of the road.

The gangs of beggars are using young children to approach shoppers outside the shops, food outlets and the departmental stores holding their hands out for alms. They now use new tactics to gain attention of the visitors and win their sympathies for the purpose of getting money. But sometimes their constant forceful tactics create nuisance for the shoppers who feel themselves attacked by their offensive behaviour.

“As soon as I came out of my car a group of beggars rushed towards me and women and children chased me unless I entered into the shop. This was so disgusting and I felt so awkward while forcing my way on the road,” said Mansoora Ahmad, a visitor at the Saddar Market.

She lamented the fact that how some ‘professional’ groups use children to earn money from beggary despite the fact that the child labour laws even never permit the children to work to earn livelihood. Mansoora said arresting and fining beggars is a must to stop visitors and shoppers being pestered by begging "delinquents" run by organised mafia gangs.