Pakistan Faces Global Embarrassment as 5,402 Beggars Deported
Pakistan has once again faced severe international embarrassment after thousands of its nationals, identified as beggars, were forcibly deported by Saudi Arabia and several other countries. This development has dealt a fresh blow to the country already reeling under economic crisis and internal strife.
Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan's Minister of Interior Affairs, revealed these details in the national assembly. He stated that over the past 16 months, Saudi Arabia alone identified and deported 5,033 Pakistani nationals found begging in the kingdom. Additionally, five other countries deported 369 Pakistani beggars, bringing the total number of deported individuals to 5,402, according to official data. The story was reported by Dawn newspaper.
Among those deported, the highest number came from Sindh province, totaling 2,795 individuals. This was followed by 1,437 from Punjab, 1,002 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 125 from Balochistan, 33 from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (referred to as Azad Kashmir), and 10 from Islamabad. After Saudi Arabia, Iraq deported the second highest number of Pakistani beggars, totaling 247. Other countries that adopted a strict stance include Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Notably, the UAE not only deported 58 individuals but also imposed stricter visa regulations for Pakistani nationals.
Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s Defence Minister, expressed deep concern over the growing issue of begging during a public event held on April 19 in Sialkot. He lamented that begging has become a major crisis in the country, making foreign nations reluctant to issue visas to Pakistanis. He added that nearly 20 million people in Pakistan are engaged in begging, with a combined estimated monthly income of approximately 42 billion Pakistani rupees, underscoring the magnitude of the problem.
In 2023, appearing before a Senate panel, then Overseas Ministry Secretary Zulfiqar Haider disclosed that 90 percent of beggars arrested abroad were Pakistani nationals. He stated that many of them travel to countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq on pilgrimage visas and then resort to begging.
Against this backdrop, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made sharp remarks about Pakistan’s economic state. Speaking at an event in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, “What can I say about Pakistan? The country has reached such a state that wherever it stands, a line of beggars begins,” mocking the situation. His comments came shortly after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a $1.023 billion aid package to Pakistan.
Notably, nearly three years ago, current Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif had remarked, “Wherever we go, even to friendly countries, we are seen as having come to beg,” a statement that now appears even more reflective of the prevailing scenario. These developments continue to erode Pakistan's international reputation.