DURING the past decade of my stay in Islamabad, I have seen the environment of the city change in many ways. One of the most annoying among these changes is the influx of professional beggars and peddlers in virtually all shopping areas of the capital.

It has become impossible to visit any market, smaller shopping areas or even to stop at a traffic signal without someone knocking at your car window or tugging your shirt to beg for alms or to sell trinkets.

These are not common poor people turned towards begging out of desperation, but are clearly parts of professional begging syndicates which are grouped in fairly organised gangs with a visible distribution of tasks and localities.

Their facial features and manner of dressing identifies them as two main groups of people  —  Afghan refugees and local gypsies. They live in nullahs and overgrown bushes on green belts in shacks.

One such settlement is located in the green area on Margallah Road between sectors F-10 and E-10. It is absolutely impossible for such large-scale begging rings to operate without the support of some powerful people and connivance of a section of law enforcers and city managers.

In addition to being a social nuisance, these people are a security hazard too as they are routinely seen prowling around sensitive installations, abodes of important people and crowded areas.

I request the police, the Capital Development Authority and the district administration to take immediate and concrete steps to cleanse Islamabad of this malady before some ugly incidence further tarnishes the image of the city and the country.

USMAN QAZI Islamabad

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram atrocity
Updated 22 Nov, 2024

Kurram atrocity

It would be a monumental mistake for the state to continue ignoring the violence in Kurram.
Persistent grip
22 Nov, 2024

Persistent grip

PAKISTAN has now registered 50 polio cases this year. We all saw it coming and yet there was nothing we could do to...
Green transport
22 Nov, 2024

Green transport

THE government has taken a commendable step by announcing a New Energy Vehicle policy aiming to ensure that by 2030,...
Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...