KARACHI – A beggar has written a letter to Sindh Police IG complaining about the ‘discriminatory’ behaviour of traffic police in Saddar area which allows only their ‘favoured’ beggars to beg in the area. He adds that traffic police ask them to beg at less crowded areas where collecting money is difficult.
The beggar writes that the traffic police force them to beg at less crowded areas “where collecting money is difficult.”
He said traffic wardens have been stationed at the same intersection since years and demanded that they should be transferred.
He said only one particular and ‘favoured’ monkey-entertainer and his family is allowed to beg near the Farid Hotel.
Begging is punishable by up to three years in Pakistan, but police and lawyers say convictions are rare.
In 2011, the Lahore High Court ruled that the government should strictly enforce laws to discourage “professional beggary,” set up homes for the destitute and improve charity disbursements.
