Islamabad under Siege

The capital city of a country is profoundly a beacon of hope, a symbol of pride and economic development. World capitals are not only kept clean but it is ensured that the city is presentable for the rest of the world. Unfortunately, Islamabad, the federal capital city of Pakistan has become a street beggar’s breeding ground. The nuisance of these beggars has gone unchecked by the authorities and it seems like that our law enforcement agencies are actually hand-in-hand with the beggar mafia.

Sector F11 has been hit the most by these beggars. It has been observed that many of these professional fakesters are not even locals; they have come from other parts of the country and are now active in swindling money from the residents of the city

What worries me the most is that due to this influx of beggars the security of our homes has been clearly compromised as the prime objective of these beggars is to make money by hook or by crook and then go on their merry way. Crime has no remorse, and the capital has seen a spike in crime over the last few years. Many believe that this mafia has political backing which is why the police of the capital have turned a blind eye towards the matter.

You cannot walk in a shopping area or even sit in a restaurant with your family for a nice meal due to these beggars who are always following you and asking for money. The situation has become so bad that the other day a beggar girl entered a well-known fast food restaurant and started begging by grabbing the legs of the people to give her money. The management was caught totally off-guard and had to face embarrassment. I am mentioning this incident for the pure purpose of bringing awareness regarding the seriousness of the matter.

If the poverty line has dipped so low then clearly our country is not on the right path and perhaps instead of the CDA (Capital Development Authority) taking care of the matter we need to ask the government of Pakistan to mend its ways. However, it is my understanding that the country’s financial situation isn’t this bad (I might be wrong). Even if these people are genuine the local authorities just cannot allow them to besiege the capital. CDA should evict these beggars from Islamabad’s sidewalks to make the capital safe and presentable once more.