The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was briefed on a concerning issue whereby a significant number of beggars are being trafficked abroad. Zulfikar Haider, the Secretary of the Overseas Ministry, brought this matter to light during a Senate panel discussion centred on the migration of both skilled and unskilled labourers from Pakistan.
Haider revealed that an alarming 90 percent of beggars apprehended in foreign countries happen to be Pakistani nationals. This predicament has led to a notable strain on foreign jails, with reports from the ambassadors of Iraq and Saudi Arabia attesting to the overcrowding of their detention facilities due to these arrests.
During the course of the discussion, Secretary Haider also pointed out a troubling trend where Japan has emerged as a newfound destination for such beggars.
According to ARY News, Senator Rana Mehmoodul Hasan highlighting the varying demands placed on Japan for skilled workers from different countries, including India, Nepal, and Pakistan, each sending a distinct number of individuals to meet these demands.
Senator Hasan further raised the issue of unemployment among engineers in Pakistan, highlighting that a staggering 50,000 engineers in the country are currently without employment opportunities.
In the context of the Middle East, the senator provided statistics, noting that approximately three million Pakistanis reside in Saudi Arabia, while another 1.5 million have sought employment in the UAE, with an additional 0.2 million in Qatar.
It is imperative to underscore that beggar syndicates are also exploiting minors, subjecting them to harsh weather conditions for personal gain. These syndicates have devised new tactics to extract money from people, contributing to a distressing trend whereby the number of beggars has doubled within a mere three-year span, as per recent reports.
