Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has claimed that nearly 22 million people in Pakistan are involved in begging, collectively earning more than Rs. 42 billion annually.
Speaking at a gathering of the Pakistan Ready-made Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) in Sialkot, the minister said the rising number of beggars is damaging Pakistan’s international image.
Asif cited recent deportation figures to highlight the seriousness of the issue, stating that Saudi Arabia alone had deported at least 4,700 Pakistani beggars.
Although he did not specify the timeframe, data shared by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) last year revealed that 4,000 beggars had been deported from Saudi Arabia over a three-year period ending in 2024.
The FIA reported that most of these individuals belonged to regions such as South Punjab, Karachi, and Interior Sindh. According to officials, those deported are added to the FIA’s Passport Control List to prevent them from leaving the country again.
The minister urged the business community in Sialkot to establish a local bank to support economic development and said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government is actively working to address their concerns. PML-N lawmakers and PRGMEA Chairman Ijaz Khokhar were also present at the event.
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