Residents of different localities of Lahore demanded the authorities concerned to take strict action against professional beggars as they were seen lined up in every market of provincial Capital.
According to them mostly elderly women beggars were on rise in areas including Ravi Road, Data Nagar, Shah Faruque Ganj Badami Bagh Darbar Gurreh Shah Baghban Pura Star Town W apda Colony, Data Darbar and other areas.
A citizen Sabiha said that they use different tactics for begging like bandaged arms and showing disabilities with bare-footed children to get sympathies of people.
Sultan Khan a resident said that most of these women were professional beggars and they come in groups and then scattered for alms seeking.
There were also organized gangs who deploy child beggars in lucrative spots like bus stops, traffic sig-nals and markets and many raids have been conducted against them in the past, he said.
He called for taking necessary and rehabilitative steps in this regard. Beggary was a social evil which needs urgent measures to be tack-led, he said.
He said that for healthy environment in society there was need of stringent laws to combat with beggary problem. As a citizen we should discourage beggars and encourage them to do some work, he added.
