Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has acknowledged that Gulf countries have ceased issuing visas to Pakistanis due to mafia groups exporting “beggars” to these nations. Asif shared a video on social media illustrating how beggars in Pakistan, through organized networks, can earn enough to buy houses. He emphasized that this practice has led Gulf nations to halt visa issuance for Pakistanis.
The video showcased a Pakistani man conversing with a child beggar, exposing how entire families collaborate in earning money through begging. Asif remarked that begging has evolved into an organized profession, with formal contractors recruiting individuals, including children and women, to beg and generating substantial profits. This mafia then sends these beggars in large numbers to Gulf countries.
Citing data from Pakistan’s Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, over 7,800 Pakistanis were deported between 2019 and 2025 for various offenses, including begging. Asif also mentioned the involvement of Pakistani airport staff in these illicit activities, emphasizing the need for administrative and police support for such operations.
In a revealing moment from the video, a child beggar disclosed that he and his brothers earn an average of PKR 12,000 per day through begging. The boy admitted that one of his siblings pretends to be disabled, and their family has managed to buy a house in Faisalabad. In response to rising concerns, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf nations imposed an indefinite ban on granting visas to individuals from 30 cities in Pakistan due to increased instances of begging and involvement in criminal activities abroad.
