Eid shoppers are swarmed by beggars

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PESHAWAR: As less than a week is left for Eidul Fitr celebrations, the beggars are out in force in Peshawar at every shopping centre and market area to squeeze money out from the shoppers. Their behaviour is a constant source of irritation and harassment for individuals and families.

Begging is illegal under the law but beggars take no heed of it and take to the streets, shipping malls and markets, crossing points, mosques and other frequented public places are overwhelmed by hordes of beggars, at rush periods and at the iftar time.

These days, Hashtnagri, Gantagar, Firdus, Nothia, Tehkal, Gulbahar, Faqirabad, Meena Bazaar, Karimpura, Shafi Market, Saddar Road, University Town, City Tower, Jawad Tower and Deans Trade Centre are flooded with beggars.

They occupy the key points in front of shopping malls, mosques, road signals, bus terminals, railway stations, traffic squares and streets.  Most professional beggars employ various tricks to exploit people’s emotions and religious sentiments by crying, weeping, and displaying their disabilities and other misfortunes dressed in miserable drags.

The unchecked trained beggars are seen pestering Eid shoppers in markets or running after them or behind their cars to collect monies in name of Zakat, Fitrana, Sadqa and Khairat.

Some beggars are seen roaming around with exposed wounds, touching and holding on to shoppers as they come out of their cars at the risk of infection of contiguous diseases and viral infections.  Others resort to emotionally blackmailing people by carrying medical prescriptions and disability certificates.

‘Alms’ seekers are also be seen in city markets asking for charity, for example, for the construction of some mosque or being made hapless by loss of employment or some illness in the family.

“Begging has emerged as a major social evil in recent years for the Peshawarties,” explained Riazul Haq, a retired school teacher, who was irritated by beggars during Eid shopping at Qissa Khwani bazaar.

He added, that besides bazaars and shopping arcades, Eid shoppers were facing great inconvenience at traffic signals, food restaurants, bus terminals, railways stations, mosques, hospitals, markets and public places due to being swarmed by beggars in Peshawar.

“It is heartbreaking to see young girls and boys” carrying wipers in their hands. As soon one stops they start cleaning cars windows at traffic signals without permission in order to get money.”  Riaz said some beggars come with water bottles, flowers, garlands, caps and rosary to give an impression that they are selling it, but actually they beg for money without an intention of selling anything.

Qaiser Khan, a retired Wapda employee and resident of Nowshera said, “he was busy in Eid shopping along with his family at Shafi Market when a teenage beggar with black colour in hand rushed towards me, asking for money or otherwise the clothes would be made dirty.

“In order to save my clothes, I immediately offered him Rs 80, which was refused. On several requests, the beggar accepted Rs 100 and started running toward other shoppers by using the same ploy. This is intolerable in a civilized society”.

Qaiser Khan demanded of the KP government to take instantaneous action against swarms of beggars in the city so that people could take a sigh of relief and do Eid shopping with ease.

Former Additional Advocate General KP, Esa Khan said that beggary has been declared illegal under West Pakistan Loitering Ordinance 1958. But unfortunately, this law had not been fully implemented resulting in an increase in beggars, especially during Ramazan.

He said central and provincial laws such as Control of Narcotics Substance Act 1997, West Pakistan Vagrancy Ordinance 1959, Pakistan Employment of Children Act 1991, KP Child Protection and Welfare Act (KPCPWA) 2010 and KP Orphanage Supervision and Control Act 1976 were promulgated to check drug addiction and street begging.

Similarly, KPCPWA was enacted in 2010 to protect the rights of women and children, but it has not been fully implemented on the ground, leading to swarms of beggars in Peshawar.

Esa Khan said the role of the Child Welfare Commission (CWC) was important to provide protection to child beggars in KP.

He urged the provincial government to impose a ban on child beggars on the pattern of Sindh province and direct the social welfare department to pick child beggars from markets, roads, traffic signals, and streets and rehabilitate them at their welfare centres. He further added that there is a need for launching special schemes for the rehabilitation of beggars. Esa Khan urged people to donate alms and charity to their known poor deserving people and charity to reputable charity organizations with an established track record so that alms given used for noble causes.