Khawaja Asif says beggary behind Gulf visa restrictions on Pakistanis

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday lamented that Gulf nations had imposed visa restrictions for Pakistanis due to the growing menace of organised beggary.

Taking to X, Khawaja Asif shared a video of noted social worker Zafar Abbas interviewing a child in Karachi’s Shah Faisal area, who was seen begging to make ends meet.

During the conversation, the child revealed that he and his two brothers earn around Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 weekly through begging, adding that they recently bought a house.

Captioning the video, Asif expressed regret that begging has now become a fully organised profession, with established contractors running networks and earning millions of rupees by recruiting children, women and even people posing as disabled.

The minister said the same organised groups were sending thousands of beggars to Gulf countries, forcing host nations to restrict or close visas for Pakistanis after becoming fed up with the situation.

He further alleged that officials of various government departments deployed at airports were equal partners in this “disgraceful business” and were financially benefiting from the illegal activity.

Referring to Sialkot, Asif said many beggars mostly arrive from South Punjab, stay in hotels and operate organised begging operations in the city. He noted that recent action by the district administration and police had reduced the scale, but their presence could still be seen.

The defence minister claimed that contractors running these networks appear to be financially well-off individuals and often approach authorities through influential recommenders whenever crackdowns are launched, seeking relief for the beggars.

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He remarked that this business is providing what he termed the “largest employment” in the country, stressing that such networks cannot operate without the patronage of local administrations and police.

Asif also warned that several other immoral and criminal activities are linked with organised begging, making it a serious social and law-enforcement challenge.

The statement comes amid media reports alleging that the UAE proposed a visa ban on Pakistanis due to an increase in nationals involved in begging.

However, UAE Consulate General in Karachi Bakheet Ateeq Al Remeithi denied such reports, calling them “fake news”. Speaking to a news channel, he said no visa ban had been imposed by the UAE government.

Last year, FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar told a National Assembly standing committee that 56,000 Pakistanis involved in organised begging were deported from Saudi Arabia.