Human smugglers helping beggars shift abroad, says secretary
Official says majority of pickpockets caught in Saudi Arabia were from Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD: A senior officer from the Minister of Overseas Pakistanis told a meeting of lawmakers that a large number of beggars were moving abroad from Pakistan with the help of human smugglers.
Secretary of the ministry Zulfiqar Haider revealed this while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis.
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.
According to Mr Haider, Japan has also emerged as a new destination for such visitors.
About three million people were in Saudi Arabia, 1.5m Pakistanis were in the UAE, while 0.2m were in Qatar.
Mr Haider acknowledged that Bangladesh and India had surpassed Pakistan in this aspect, citing concerns about the skills and trustworthiness of Pakistani workers in the eyes of foreign employers.
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