Massive crackdown on begging mafia launched

Islamabad:A massive crackdown has been launched against the begging mafia in the federal capital under police protection, the sources disclosed.

Begging is one of the most rising concerns of this country but it is not taken into account seriously.

The mission for the cleansing the society from such the ugly business, has been given to SP (Investigation). The officer has been given the task to compile a comprehensive report about the working of the mafia people and to break their setup, the sources placed in the relevant corners of the CIA, said.

Contractors of three begging zones have been arrested during the on-going crackdown against the mafia while two – contractors from Tarnol and Bari Imam have disappeared, the sources said, however, information about their whereabouts have been traced out.

“The arrested contractors have been identified as Tanvir Asad (9th Avenue, IJ Principal Road, I-8, I-9 and I-10 and its adjacent areas), Mohammad Ashfaq covering I-9 and I-10 Markets and Mohammad Salim (Kohsar Market, Super Market and traffic signals falling in his jurisdiction),” the sources disclosed.

The police have arrested the officials from the police force involved in facilitating the beggars attached with different mafias, the sources said adding that departmental inquiry has been initiated against the police officials who provided protection to the mafia people.

DIG (Operations) Waqaruddin Syed confirmed the report when contacted for his comments, saying that the police officials involved in providing facilities to the begging mafia would be sacked after the departmental inquiry initiated against them, adding, the begging trade will be rooted out from Islamabad for good.

The sources revealed that the begging mafia divided the federal capital into five operative zones – F-6 and F-5 (including Marriott), G Sectors including 5, 6, 7 and F-7, Faisal Avenue up to Faizabad and from Faizabad to Rawat, F-8 and F and G Sectors from 9 to 14 and finally, Imam Barri.

The contractors provide ride from their residences to their working spots. The contractors provide shelter to their working beggars in Khanna, Zia Masjid, Mera Badi and Bhara Kahu, the sources said and added that every contractor employed 10 to 15 baggers in his squad and every beggar is bound to pay at least Rs1,000 per day to their contractors. “Underage baggers are valuable for the contractors because they use all efforts only to gather more money ending to thefts, mugging and finally armed robberies and killings,” the report said.

“The contractors constituted an unannounced association to watch their interests. According to the SoP, the contractor of one zone could not interfere in the affairs of the other ‘administrative zones’,” the report, quoting arrested contractors revealed.

The mafia use the beggars in all anti-social evils as well as street crimes including kidnapping of minors from hospitals, street and shrines. The beggars working under the protection of mafias are also brought into play in drug trafficking, kidnapping and even prostitution, said the investigation report and added that female beggars also provide secret information and indications to robber gangs about treasures of targeted houses.

The people engaged in the abolishing begging evil, said that the only police could not provide required result but the district administration have to put their proper share to get the objective.

There is no law to counter begging trade, however, the government should introduce as is in the Punjab. There should be Child Protection Law to counter such anti society crimes, they said.

An act to consolidate the law for the rescue of protective custody, rehabilitation of destitute and neglected children in the province of the Punjab, says, whoever, employs any child for the purpose of bagging or causes any child to beg or whoever having the custody of , charge or chare of a child connives at or encourages his employment for the purpose of begging and whoever uses a child, connives at or encourages his employment for begging shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with the fine of thirty thousand rupees or with both.