ISLAMABAD: The capital police arrested 582 beggars during the last fortnight with the objective of curbing the menace of begging. Cases were registered against professional beggars and their handlers.

Islamabad police launched the campaign on the directions of IGP Islamabad Tahir Alam Khan and SSP Islamabad Asmatullah Junejo.

During the last 15 days, 192 male beggars, 88 female beggars and 302 child beggars were arrested. The police shifted the children and disabled persons found begging to the Edhi Centres and Protection Centres for their proper care while the professionals were taken to jail.

Beggary is an organized crime as gangs pick up children from remote areas after paying some amount to their poor parents and take them to different cities on the pretext of providing respectable jobs to them.

IGP Khan said that this social evil would be curbed and those backing the professional beggars would be dealt with an iron hand.

He said that needy children and women were shifted to the various centres after verification so that they could be made responsible citizens.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2014