Pakistan: Pakistan Defense Minister Khwaja Mohammad Asif recently revealed a shocking statement that Saudi Arabia had expelled more than 4,700 Pakistani nationals from the country. These people are accused of reaching Saudi Arabia on the pretext of Umrah or Haj visas, but started begging there. This incident is being seen as a great embarrassment for Pakistan’s reputation internationally.
Speaking at the program of readymade garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) in Sialkot, the Defense Minister said that there are estimated 2.2 crore beggars in Pakistan, who earn around Rs 42 billion every year. He also said that these beggars are going abroad and harming the image of the country, especially in countries like Middle East, where begging is considered a crime and strict punishment for this such as fines, jails and exile.
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He also informed that more than 4,700 Pakistani beggars were arrested in Saudi Arabia alone and sent back to Pakistan. At the same time, according to a report by Pakistan’s Central Investigation Agency (FIA), between 2021 and 2024, about 4,000 Pakistani nationals were deported as beggars. They were mainly related to areas such as South Punjab, Karachi and internal Sindh.
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FIA officials said that as soon as these people return to Pakistan after completing their sentence, their names are put in the Passport Control List (PCL) so that they cannot travel abroad again. Apart from this, in November 2024, the government has included the names of 4,300 such beggars in the Exit Control List (ECL). Defense Minister Asif appealed to the business community to set up his bank to encourage economic activities in the country. He said that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his cabinet are committed to solve issues related to business.
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Experts believe that this situation is not only harming Pakistan’s global image, but is also making difficulties for those religious pilgrims who go to Umrah or Hajj in a legitimate way. The Saudi government has demanded strict action on this issue from the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Pakistan. It remains to be seen how much effective strategy it adopts to deal with this problem and whether it is able to improve the image of the country abroad.
