October 05, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 22, 1428

RAWALPINDI, Oct 4: The government has not been able to come out with a strategy to combat the menace of beggary, the roots of which are becoming stronger, nurtured by the influential underground mafia.

The local administration is seen in no mood to carry out any crackdown on the beggary ‘industry’. This situation has left the ground open for beggars to more around shopping areas, bazaars, restaurants, chemist shops, hospitals, banks, post offices and other places where transaction of money is involved. They relentlessly chase promising ‘customers’.

With the advent of the holy month of Ramazan, the invasion of beggars on streets started to increase dramatically, and now when the people are out for Eid shopping, herds of beggars at all corners of shopping areas badly harass the people throughout the day in the absence of law enforcers.

From the vast number of beggars who display ‘arts of beggary’ to compel or force people to give some amount, one can easily guess how this industry is a flourishing one, who is making investments and who is ensuring the climate secured for such investment.

Beggars have now-a-days not only created their havens at traffic signals, hovering around each and every car, but have also moved into posh residential areas for door-to-door begging. From a close look, one can find that the beggars are also working on a shift basis. They move from one place to another as required by their masters.

With Eidul Fitr approaching very vast, a new stock of beggars has made their ways into the cantonment area. Flocks of beggars are seen haunting people in shopping areas on the Mall, Peshawar Road, Kashmir Road, Bank Road, Haider Road and Murree Road.

The public or civil society’s hue and cry against beggary has failed to hit the corridors of their elected representatives who do not have enough time to help uproot the evils of society. It’s a matter of will; if they take the issue seriously, law can be framed. Sooner or later, if the government fails to bring in any law, the day is not far when the civil society will knock the door of the Supreme Court for the remedy.

The city district government officials including police high- ups say no law exists in the country to eliminate the curse of beggary. Who will bell the cat? After all, somebody has to take the lead. In a city of neighbouring country, a prevention of beggary act is enforced since 1961.

It is high time the government took concrete steps for the eradication of beggary and gave beggars alternative source of income making them useful part of society — after all they are part and parcel of this country.