LAHORE, Nov 15: Like every year, the city has been invaded by hordes of beggars ahead of Eidul Fitr.

The beggars are found mostly at crowding road junctions, bus-stops, railway stations, mosques and commercial centres, employing different tactics to get some cash from people.

Unemployment, poverty and lure of easy food and money is attracting an increasing number of people into beggary, which is now considered as a lucrative profession.

“If beggary is not tackled tactfully, the number of beggars will continue to grow,” said a social worker, Muhammad Rafiq. He added that it was the duty of the Social Welfare Department to come up with an effective scheme to eradicate this menace.

A City District Government spokesman said the issue required a long-term solution for which no shortcuts would serve the purpose. “The problem has to be solved on a permanent basis, which will require heavy financial input as well as firm implementation of the relevant laws,” he commented.

With easy availability of transport, various beggar groups move to different parts of the country, mostly to big cities where the prospects of earning are brighter, especially during Ramazan and Eidul Fitr.—APP