A stricter type of action against organized groups and professional beggars is surely a must for the authorities
By Tooba Abbasi
I once gave a hundred rupees note to a young boy knocking on my car window at a traffic signal—barefoot, dusty, and hungry-eyed. A week later, I saw the same boy in a different part of the city, wearing the same torn clothes, his story unchanged. That’s when I began to wonder: was I helping someone in need—or unknowingly feeding a system built on exploitation?
Begging, once seen as a sign of desperation and helplessness, has increasingly become a tool for manipulation.
In many cases, it is no longer about survival but exploiting human empathy for financial gain. From organized begging mafias to individuals who fake disabilities or distress, the act of begging is often staged to deceive passersby. This is a frequent occurrence especially during festive months or outside prominent places.
Public Perception: Sympathy and Social Media
Public has a conceived perception about beggars which is often influenced by social media. You might think someone is needy just because of late night scrolling. People tend to jump to conclusions too rapidly. They do this without thinking if the person in reality is needy or not.
This is a recurring event where Facebook groups are flooded with profiles of the needy but there isn’t a credible system to verify the cases which disadvantages the giver and benefits the wrong.
In 2025, the UAE Cybersecurity Council reported detecting over 1,200 instances of digital begging particularly during Ramadan. Scammers utilized fake accounts, emotional videos, and even deep fake technology to impersonate individuals in need, exploiting users’ goodwill to ask for fraudulent donations.
Reality of Begging Mafia
Sadly, begging has become a full-fledged business for many. With this there has been a surge in begging mafia in Pakistan who often exploit people through emotional tactics.
A local non-governmental organization studied the beggar mafia around Karachi and reported it generates close to PKR 32.2 billion per year from street begging during 2023. Furthermore, a recent 2024 report highlighted that Karachi hosts close to 50% of Pakistan’s estimated 38 million beggars and earns an average of PKR.2000 per day. These figures do underscore the meaningful scale of begging in Karachi, along with its economic implications.
It has been reported that approximately 38 million individuals are involved in begging across the country. With daily earnings varying city wise:
Karachi: Around PKR 2,000 per day
Lahore: Approximately PKR 1,400 per day
Islamabad: About PKR 950 per day
National Average: Estimated at PKR 850 per day
Collectively, beggars in Pakistan are reported to receive around PKR 32 billion daily, translating to an estimated PKR 117 trillion annually (approximately $42 billion). This figure is said to represent over 12% of Pakistan’s GDP.
This is an alarming concern that affects the entire nation. In a country already grappling with economic instability and political turbulence, such exploitative practices are not just threatening they are deeply damaging to our social fabric and future.
The Need for Reform
A stricter type of action against organized groups and professional beggars is surely a must for the authorities. The welfare programs reaching to the needy must be ensured at a level while the authorities act. Instead of enabling any cycle of deception, public awareness is so equally important that compassion should be directed toward rehabilitation efforts. We have a need for survival together.
This pattern that taxes society likewise redirects focus from people truly vulnerable. A lot of beggars pick this route, even if able-bodied, since it makes certain of income that is simple and untaxed. Depriving to them the chance of education as well as a future, several children are often forced into the many begging rings.
There must be a proper system that overlooks begging culture in Pakistan which aware, amplifies and work for betterment. Without such system, our country might keep on suffering from one such exploitation.
Conclusion
Begging has been corrupting our system far long enough. It’s time government bring an end to this never-ending chain of misery and exploitation. The ones who are in need must be helped through a transparent system which not only benefits them but contributes economically to the system as well.
Every coin we drop into an outstretched hand might feel like a small act of kindness but what if it’s feeding a system that’s trapping children like Ali in a life they never chose?
Real compassion means looking beyond the surface. It means asking supporting real solutions, and making sure our help reaches the needy.
Read – Pervasive Problem of Begging in Pakistan: A Multi-Faceted Issue
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Tooba Abbasi is a second-year Mass Communication student at the University of Karachi. She is a content writer.
