24 beggars caught trying to fly to Saudi Arabia on Umrah visas
Group says half of the money to earn through begging was to go to agents who arranged Umrah visas for them.
LAHORE: A few days after reports that human smugglers were helping beggars move out of the country, as many as 24 beggars were caught trying to fly out of the country from Lahore and Multan airports.
According to the FIA, the group comprised 11 men, four women and a child were offloaded from a plane at Lahore airport while eight others were caught at Multan airport. They were hiding Saudi Arabia visas for performing Umrah.
But during questioning, the group confessed that they were going to the kingdom to seek alms.
They said they had been helped in getting the visas under an agreement with agents under which they would give half if the money to be received from begging to the agents.
It may be noted that recently a Senate standing committee was informed by a senior officer from the Minister of Overseas Pakistanis that a large number of beggars were moving abroad from Pakistan with the help of human smugglers.
He also disclosed that “90 per cent of beggars arrested in foreign countries were of Pakistani origin.”
The official said many beggars obtained pilgrim visas to travel to Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq and started begging in these countries by overstaying.
The official also revealed that a significant number of pickpockets apprehended in holy sites like Haram were also Pakistani nationals.
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