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Anti-beggary

campaigns making

no headway

KARACHI: Beggars have succeeded in expanding their tentacles to Quaid-e-Azam International terminal after saturation of the "hot" begging sites in the city.

They slip into the arrival and departure lounges on the pretext of receiving pilgrims and start begging from the passengers, one of the officials told this scribe at the airport. We expel them soon after their identification, he added.

A passenger said that the people who had come from interior to receive the pilgrims at the Karachi airport, tend to give more alms, consequently encouraging begging at the airport.

The begging, though popular in the country throughout the history, but the sagged economic conditions, rising unemployment and soaring cost of living multiplies the number of beggars.

The repeated campaigns and drives against beggary, launched by the social welfare department time to time always failed due to two main reasons, a social worker said. One that most of the beggars are professional and they had opted begging as easy job with higher earning potential, second the government departments lack adequate funds to feed the arrested beggars at the special homes set up for the purpose.

Though the private business concerns who had acquired the guards for security purposes, try to keep the beggars away from their premises, the crook beggars could be often seen, somehow managing their entry into the private hospitals.

The usual hot sites for begging are traffic signals, railways station, bus stands, eating places and markets.

Besides simply asking for alms, some pose as hawkers, selling handkerchiefs, dusters etc. and asking for help for small children, sisters or ailing parents.

A large number is found sitting in front of eating places and those who instead of asking for money, silently sit outside, are usually provided food against the orders of different customers of such eating places.

Another begging style, though not very popular as it involves hardwork but is very convincing could be often witnessed at Dalmian road, Drigh road and University road during the thin traffic hours. Couples as well as partners holding each other may be seen walking slowly along the road side, posing that they are going to the hospital but have no money to travel by bus etc. When and if offered a lift, they availing the chance tell woes of their hungry children, old parents, unemployment and empty pocket to pay the doctor for a serious ailment. They usually have prescription by one or the other doctor.ÑAPP