RAWALPINDI: A special squad of the City Traffic Police arrested 1,473 professional beggars, including women and children, from different parts of the garrison city during a crackdown in Ramazan.

Rai Mazhar Iqbal, Chief Traffic Officer (CTO), had directed the Anti-Beggar Squad to take stern action against professional beggars.

A spokesman for the traffic police said following the CTO’s directives, the squad led by Sajid Mahmood, arrested 1,473 male and female professional beggars. However, 26 child beggars were handed over to the Child Protection Unit (CPU).

Moreover, five contractors, who were allegedly heading the begging mafia, were also arrested and an FIR was registered against them.

The chief traffic officer said during Ramazan, the anti-beggar squad cordoned off various highways to arrest individuals found begging, some posing as disabled and others as transgender persons.

He said young and physically fit people found begging were rounded up. He said the traffic police were working hard to clear traffic signals of beggars. He also urged people to discourage these professional beggars.

He also appealed to the citizens to support the traffic police in eradicating social ills such as begging and refrain from giving money to the professional beggars.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2021