The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was informed that a significant number of beggars travel abroad through human trafficking channels. Zulfikar Haider, Overseas Ministry Secretary, made this disclosure during a discussion in the Senate panel on the issue of skilled and unskilled labour leaving the country. “90 percent of beggars arrested in foreign countries are Pakistanis. The Iraqi and Saudi ambassadors have reported that their jails were overcrowded due to these arrests,” he told the Senate committee. During the discussion, Haider also noted that Japan had emerged as a new destination for such visitors.

Senator Rana Mehmoodul Hasan highlighted Japan’s demand for skilled workers from different countries, with India, Nepal, and Pakistan sending varying numbers of individuals. Hasan also mentioned that as many as 50,000 engineers in Pakistan were unemployed. Regarding the Middle East, the senator mentioned that approximately three million people were in Saudi Arabia, 1.5m Pakistanis were in the UAE, while 0.2m were in Qatar. It is pertinent to mention that rackets of beggars also use minor kids in sweltering and freezing weathers for their personal interest. They have invented several new methods to get money from people. According to a report, number of beggars have doubles in three years.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)