AN old lady walking with the aid of an aluminum stick used to regularly visit our apartment complex and collect money from many of the residents. Once the maid employed by us saw me giving her money.

She told my wife that the old lady was a fraud. She informed my wife that the old lady lived in her vicinity in N Block in North Nazimabad and she owned a house there. The upper floor of this house she had given on rent. This information flabbergasted me and my family.

This is the holy month of Ramazan when the generosity of the Pakistani people is at even higher level than normal. The incident of the old lady has me thinking that it is very difficult for common people to find those who are in genuine need of charity.

In the holy month, professional beggars from the rest of the country descend on Karachi to relieve good Samaritans of their charity. Many of these professional beggars have been exposed in TV programmes.

The Sindh government had recently started a campaign to round up beggars, but it seems to have been wound up by the authorities.

The authorities should ensure that professional beggars are not allowed to pester citizens and they are taken off the streets.

Zia ul Islam

Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2020