The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has confirmed the deportation of 10 suspects from Saudi -Arabia who had traveled to the Kingdom of Umrah -Visa, but turned out to beg.
Pakistan is concerned that such individuals who engage in begging abroad have a negative impact on the experience of legitimate pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia for Umrah or Hajj.
Reports suggest that Riyadh has raised the question with Islamabad several times in the past year. In November 2023, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured that a nationwide “effective crash” was underway against Pakistanis who used Umrah or Hajj -visa to beg in Saudi -Arabia.
In a statement on Sunday, the FIA reported that in a major operation at Karachi Airport, 10 people suspected of begging were arrested during Dekke to go to Umrah.
The suspects from various districts, including Rajanpur, Naushahro Feroze, Kashmore, Lahore, Peshawar, Mohmand and Larkana, were detained after arriving from Saudi -Arabia.
Preliminary investigations revealed that these individuals had begged in Saudi -Arabia for months. They were transferred to Karachi Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for further action.
The FIA emphasized that it closely monitors immigration activities at airports. Passengers traveling abroad are thoroughly controlled and legal actions are taken against those involved in begging.
Pakistanis form the second largest posted society in Saudi Arabia, where about 2.5 million Pakistanis live there. They are also the largest source of transfers to Pakistan.
