The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has confirmed the deportation of 10 suspects from Saudi Arabia, who had travelled to the kingdom on Umrah visas but were found to be begging.
Pakistan is concerned that such individuals, who engage in begging abroad, are negatively impacting the experience of legitimate pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia for Umrah or Hajj.
Reports suggest that Riyadh has raised the issue with Islamabad several times over the past year. In November 2023, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured that a nationwide “effective crackdown” was underway against Pakistanis who used Umrah or Hajj visas to beg in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement on Sunday, the FIA reported that, in a major operation at Karachi Airport, 10 individuals suspected of begging under the guise of going for Umrah were apprehended.
The suspects, from various districts including Rajanpur, Naushahro Feroze, Kashmore, Lahore, Peshawar, Mohmand, and Larkana, were detained after arriving back from Saudi Arabia.
Preliminary investigations revealed that these individuals had been begging in Saudi Arabia for several months. They were transferred to the Karachi Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for further action.
The FIA emphasised that it is closely monitoring immigration activities at airports. Passengers traveling abroad are being thoroughly checked, and legal actions are being taken against those involved in begging.
Pakistanis form the second-largest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia, with around 2.5 million Pakistanis living there. They are also the largest source of remittances for Pakistan.
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