Amid growing calls to check the growing presence of professional beggars that roam freely on the city roads and also disrupt the traffic at the crossings, the Lahore Police recently launched a massive crackdown on alms-seekers. The News on Sunday (TNS) learns that the police apprehended over 1,500 beggars that include elderly men and women, and minors, in almost a week’s time. They also registered 1,365 cases against them.

The operation was initiated in collaboration with the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, with special focus on the handlers of the beggars.

It is believed that the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to Lahore propelled the police into action. The PM had ordered the police to come down hard on the beggars as well as their handlers.

It would be interesting to see if the clean-up operation turns out to be effective in the long term, considering that such drives have been launched on several occasions in the past, to little effect. Under the law, beggary is not allowed, but it seems like beggars can get away with it because they are ‘protected’ by influential handlers.

DIG Operations, Lahore, Capt (retd) Muhammad Suhail Chaudhry tells TNS that professional begging has assumed alarming proportions and turned into a menace. The beggars typically hover around popular marketplaces, worship places and hospitals. He claims that hundreds of them have already been arrested from different parts of the city: “We are aware of the fact that in the past they [beggars] would be set free soon after they were caught, which is why they were able to return to their spots. Not anymore.”

He regards the beggars on traffic junctions as “a security risk” who could “cause traffic gridlocks and accidents. But now, they are a banned entity. They would face imprisonment if spotted anywhere in public spaces.”

He insists that the beggars are often anti-social elements in disguise. “The police officials have been instructed to enhance security around worship places and entry and exit points of the city.”

DIG Operations, Lahore, regards the beggars on traffic junctions as “a security risk” who could “cause traffic gridlocks and accidents. But now, they are a banned entity. They would face imprisonment if spotted anywhere in public spaces.”

DIG Operations, Lahore, also speaks of constituting special squads to curb the menace. The performance of these squads will be reviewed on a daily basis, he says.

The campaign against professional beggars will continue on. Special directives have been issued to all SHOs, Dolphin Police, and other mobile police squads to apprehend the drifters. The SPs have been directed to be vigilant of the beggars’ presence especially around the mosques and Imambargahs. “No laxity or slackness on the part of the police in this regard would be tolerated,” he declares. “Besides, strict action will be taken against those who force children and women into this ugly business.” In this connection, the child and women beggars will be shifted to the Child Protection Bureau (CPB)’s shelter homes, so that they get proper care and become responsible citizens.

According to Capt (retd) Suhail Chaudhry, there is enough evidence to suggest that the beggars are a mafia and they launch their women and children in minor thefts and to push drugs. Women beggars are also used for kidnapping infants.”

He believes that rights organisations and child protection institutions can play a significant role in the entire exercise.

Sara Ahmed, a human rights activist, agrees with the view that police alone cannot eliminate beggary as “it is a multi-section social ailment.

“The Child Protection Bureau, in particular, must share the responsibility,” she says, adding that all stakeholders must join hands and thrash out an effective policy in this regard.

The writer is a senior journalist and can be reached at ahsanzia155@gmail.com