90% of beggars arrested abroad are Pakistanis,

Arab Countries Ask Pakistan Not To Send Beggars In Guise Of ‘Pilgrims,

Islamabad_Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis, Zeeshan Khanzada, shared some concerning statistics on the country’s overseas population before the Senate panel on Wednesday.

He revealed that a significant number of Pakistanis abroad are involved in begging which results in legal issues for them.

Senator Rana Mahmood ul Hassan raised the issue of Pakistan’s relatively low representation among skilled workers in countries like Japan.

He mentioned that Japan had requested 340,000 skilled workers from various countries, but only 200 Pakistanis had been sent.

This raised concerns about the underutilization of the country’s workforce in foreign job markets.

Khanzada explained that Pakistan had about one million overseas citizens, but India and Bangladesh had more significant numbers abroad.

He noted that Pakistan had established a skilled centre in Saudi Arabia and that many Pakistanis were working in countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar.

Regarding job readiness, the secretary revealed that many Pakistanis were willing to pay substantial amounts to secure employment opportunities abroad, even up to Rs5 million.

He also mentioned an agreement with Japan in 2019 which focused on providing language training to Pakistani workers to meet the language requirements of host countries.

Senator Sherry Rehman emphasized the need for Pakistanis to enhance their skills. She compared the situation to Nepal which had been sending mountain guides to Pakistan.

She expressed concerns about the skill level of Pakistani workers and the need for comprehensive training programs.

The ministry’s secretary also highlighted a troubling issue. He stated that a significant number of Pakistanis involved in begging overseas had faced legal troubles.

He shared that 90% of beggars arrested abroad were of Pakistani origin.

Additionally, he mentioned that both Iraqi and Saudi ambassadors had reported that their jails were overcrowded due to such arrests.

Khanzada also noted that many pickpockets caught inside the Haram in Saudi Arabia were Pakistanis, and they often travelled on Umrah visas for begging purposes,

Furthermore, he brought up that both the Iraqi and Saudi ambassadors had communicated that their detention facilities were overflowing as a result of these arrests, prompting worries about human trafficking.

Khanzada also observed that a significant number of pickpockets apprehended within the Haram in Saudi Arabia were of Pakistani origin, and they frequently used Umrah visas as a cover for their begging activities.

IN May,

A group of four has been arrested in Sharjah for forcing people from different parts of Pakistan into begging.

According to the police, the group brought 35 people from different parts of Pakistan to Sharjah on the pretext of jobs but forced them into working as beggars. Out of the 35, 14 are people with disabilities, police said.

However, all four gang members have been sentenced to one-year imprisonment, while a fine of AED100,000 has been levied on one of them, police added.

All the four accused would be deported after completing their prison sentence, police said, adding this was the first case of people with disabilities being smuggled.

Besides, police in Sharjah as well as Dubai have started an anti-begging campaign to round up people who have been contacting United Arab Emirates residents for money over the phone, according to reports. Police in Dubai have arrested 78 beggars, it has been reported.

Dubai police has urged residents to not respond sympathetically to unknown people using electronic devices to reach out for money.

Besides, UAE passed an anti-begging federal law that punishes anyone found begging in the country. A fine of AED5,000 and prison sentence up to three months was announced by the Federal National Council in April.