The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a province wide crackdown on professional beggars, with operations set to be carried out in Peshawar and other districts to curb organized begging.
According to an official statement, authorities have already begun profiling professional beggars as part of the campaign.
Advisor to the Chief Minister on Social Welfare, Zakat & Ushr, Special Education and Women Empowerment, Malik Liaqat Ali Khan, said professional begging has become a major social issue, creating inconvenience for the public while preventing genuinely deserving people from receiving assistance.
He said the operation will target professional beggars at road intersections, markets, mosques, commercial centers, and other public places. The government will also identify and dismantle organized networks that have turned begging into a profitable business.
The advisor warned that forcing children to beg is a punishable offense and said strict legal action will be taken against those involved in exploiting children in coordination with the relevant departments.
He added that the Social Welfare Department, district administrations, police, and other relevant agencies will jointly conduct the campaign while ensuring the rehabilitation and support of genuinely deserving and vulnerable individuals.
The government also urged the public not to encourage professional begging and appealed to citizens to report cases of child begging or organized begging groups to the relevant authorities for prompt legal action.
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