Saudi asks Pakistan to prevent beggars from entering Gulf country under Umrah visas

Islamabad: Saudi Arabia has raised concerns about the growing number of Pakistani beggars arriving in the Kingdom under the guise of religious pilgrimage and asked Islamabad to take action to prevent them from entering the Gulf country, a media report said on Tuesday.

Citing sources from Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Express Tribune newspaper reported that the Saudi authorities have also warned that if the situation is not controlled, it could negatively affect Pakistani Umrah and Hajj pilgrims.

"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 response, Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs has decided to introduce an "Umrah Act," which aims to regulate travel agencies facilitating Umrah trips, bringing them under legal oversight, it said.

Additionally, the ministry has asked the Pakistani government to find ways to prevent beggars from travelling to Saudi Arabia under the guise of religious pilgrimage.

Earlier, in a meeting with Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Ahmed Al-Malki, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured him that strict measures would be implemented against the mafia responsible for sending beggars to Saudi Arabia.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been tasked with cracking down on this network, which Mohsin said is damaging Pakistan's image.

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.

Arshad Mahmood, Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis, last year pointed out that several Gulf countries have expressed concerns regarding the behaviour of overseas Pakistanis, particularly in areas of work ethics, attitudes, and involvement in criminal activities.

According to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, a staggering 90 per cent of beggars apprehended in foreign countries belong to 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 process, FIA officials questioned the passengers, who admitted that their purpose for visiting Saudi Arabia was to beg.

In September last year, 16 beggars disguised as pilgrims were offloaded from a Saudi Arabia-bound flight and arrested for trying to travel to the Gulf Kingdom to indulge in begging.

A majority of the pickpockets arrested from within Mecca's grand mosque are Pakistani nationals, Khanzada was quoted as saying in local media.