Authorities detains 2765 professional beggars from Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: As part of its drive against begging, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration along with the police has arrested almost 2,700 professional beggars from the federal capital, state-run APP reported on Wednesday.

According to an official, of all the beggars who were detained, 45% were men, 40% were women, 5% were kids, and 10% were transgender.

State-run media agency, citing an official said, the teams were constituted which was led by the relevant Assistant Commissioners and Magistrates to run the anti-begging campaign across the capital.

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In a recent update provided by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) spokesman, it was revealed that a staggering 2,765 individuals engaged in begging were apprehended over the past six months, spanning from October to March.

He said that beggars’ mafias became more active during the holy month of Ramazan. Upon arrest, professional beggars were promptly escorted to the nearest police station for further processing, while minors found amongst them were compassionately directed to the Edhi Center for proper care and support.

To a query, an ICT official said the District administration caught minor beggars and handed them over to shelter homes and Edhi centers but later they gave affidavit or fine to authorities and went Scot-free.