Saudi Arabia has expressed worries regarding the increasing influx of Pakistani beggars entering the Kingdom disguised as religious pilgrims. They have urged Islamabad to address this issue to prevent their entry into the Gulf nation, as per a report in Express Tribune.
The Saudi officials have warned that failure to manage this situation could have negative impact for Pakistani Umrah and Hajj travelers, as per sources from Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs.
"The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has issued a warning to Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs, urging action to prevent Pakistani beggars from entering the kingdom under Umrah visas," the paper said.
In reply, the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Pakistan has opted to introduce an "Umrah Act" to oversee travel agencies organising Umrah journeys, subjecting them to legal supervision. Furthermore, the ministry has urged the Pakistan government to form strategies to stop beggars from embarking on trips to Saudi Arabia under the pretense of religious pilgrimages.
Earlier, during a discussion with Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Ahmed Al-Malki, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured to take strong actions against the criminal syndicate behind sending beggars to Saudi Arabia.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been assigned the responsibility of dismantling this network, which Mohsin emphasised is tarnishing Pakistan's reputation.
Pakistani beggars travel to the Middle East under the guise of ziarat (pilgrimage). Most people visit Saudi Arabia on Umrah visas and then indulge in begging-related activities, Secretary Overseas Pakistanis Zeeshan Khanzada said last year.
Also last year, Arshad Mahmood, Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis, highlighted that numerous Gulf nations have raised concerns about the conduct of Pakistani expatriates, especially in terms of work ethics, attitudes, and involvement in unlawful behaviors.
As per the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, an astonishing 90 percent of beggars detained in foreign countries are from Pakistan.
The FIA has been directed to crack down on the mafias responsible for sending beggars to Saudi Arabia.
A month ago FIA offloaded 11 alleged beggars from a Saudi Arabia-bound flight at Karachi airport.
During the immigration procedures, FIA officials interrogated the passengers, who confessed that their intention for traveling to Saudi Arabia was to beg.
Last September, authorities caught 16 beggars posing as pilgrims from a flight headed to Saudi Arabia. They were apprehended for attempting to go to the Gulf Kingdom to beg.
Khanzada, as reported in local media, mentioned that a significant number of the thieves caught in the grand mosque of Mecca are citizens of Pakistan.
