DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to launch a province-wide operation against professional beggars, including in the provincial capital, Peshawar, as part of a broader campaign aimed at curbing organised begging, protecting children from exploitation and ensuring that welfare assistance reaches genuinely deserving people.
The profiling of professional beggars has already begun, while authorities will also take strict legal action against individuals and organised groups involved in forcing children to beg, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Social Welfare, Zakat & Ushr, Special Education and Women Empowerment Malik Liaqat Ali Khan said on Sunday.
He said professional begging had emerged as a serious social issue, causing inconvenience to the public and diverting charitable assistance away from those who genuinely needed support. The government, he added, had adopted a comprehensive strategy to address the problem on a permanent basis.
According to the adviser, the operation will target professional beggars at road intersections, markets, mosques, commercial centres and other public places across the province. Authorities will also identify and dismantle organised networks that have turned begging into a profitable business.
Mr Khan said forcing children to beg was not only unethical but also a punishable offence under the law. He said strict legal action would be taken, without discrimination, against those involved in exploiting children, in coordination with the relevant departments.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to safeguarding children’s fundamental rights, adding that no one would be allowed to exploit minors under any circumstances.
The adviser said the Social Welfare Department, district administrations, police and other relevant agencies would jointly conduct the campaign to eliminate professional begging while ensuring the rehabilitation and support of genuinely deserving and vulnerable individuals.
Mr Khan urged citizens not to encourage professional beggars and to immediately report cases of children being forced to beg or the activities of organised begging groups to the relevant authorities for prompt legal action.
He said the campaign was aimed not only at eliminating professional begging but also at preventing child exploitation, improving order at public places and ensuring that government welfare services reached those who genuinely required assistance.
