Barrister Usman Ali, Ph.D.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has recently introduced an important and tough new law aimed at curbing begging: the Vagrancy Act 2026. The proposed legislation seeks to create a legal framework for effective action against professional beggars. For a government that has spent much of its time consumed by protests, sloganeering, and political spectacle, bringing forward such a measure is, at the very least, a notable step. If enforced with seriousness, honesty, and consistency, this law could help clear the province’s cities, markets, and streets of a growing social blight while reinforcing law, order, and human dignity.
Begging has, for years, grown into a problem that affects not only the social fabric of society but also urban life, public safety, and national dignity. It should therefore not be treated as a minor administrative nuisance or a temporary inconvenience. It is a serious social, economic, and moral crisis.
Anyone who looks closely at the streets of a city, town, or marketplace can see how deeply rooted the problem has become. At traffic signals, children weave between cars asking for money. Elderly men and women stand with outstretched hands. Women carrying infants move through intersections and shopping areas in search of sympathy and alms. Mosques, hospitals, schools, bus terminals, railway stations, and commercial districts have all become familiar sites for professional begging. In some places, the situation has deteriorated to the point that ordinary citizens can no longer shop, commute, or move about in peace.
What makes the problem especially alarming is that begging is no longer simply a visible expression of poverty. In many cases, it has become an organized trade sustained by networks of exploitation. Behind the appearance of helplessness there is often deception, the abuse of children, the exploitation of women, and, at times, the protection of criminal elements. Many professional beggars deliberately present themselves as sick, disabled, or destitute in order to win public sympathy. In numerous cases, such individuals have also been linked to theft, pickpocketing, fraud, scouting homes, and other forms of criminal activity. Begging, then, is no longer only a social evil; it is also a matter of public order and urban security.
Islam teaches the values of work, self-respect, and dignity. Begging without genuine need is discouraged and morally condemned. A society in which healthy, able-bodied people begin to prefer easy money over honest labor is a society slipping toward moral decline. When children are sent to streets and traffic intersections instead of being given education, guidance, and the chance of a better future, the damage goes far beyond poverty. It is the destruction of childhood and a stain on the conscience of society. Any serious effort to end begging is, in this sense, an effort to restore human dignity.
There is also an international dimension to this issue that cannot be ignored. The arrest and deportation of Pakistani beggars in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries has damaged the country’s reputation. When individuals carrying Pakistani identity are found involved in begging or related offenses abroad, the harm does not remain confined to them alone; it reflects on the dignity of the entire nation. That is why a coordinated strategy is needed at both the provincial and federal levels, so that this scourge can be addressed at home and prevented from disgracing the country abroad.
But passing a law is only the beginning. The real test is enforcement. Pakistan has seen many sound laws and worthy initiatives lose their value because implementation was weak, inconsistent, or selective. If the Vagrancy Act 2026 is to succeed, the government must ensure close coordination among the police, district administration, social welfare agencies, local government institutions, and the judiciary. Action must certainly be taken against professional beggars, but the state must also make a clear distinction between those who are genuinely vulnerable and those who have turned begging into a business.
That is where welfare and rehabilitation become indispensable. If the government truly wants to address the problem at its roots, it cannot rely on arrests and punishment alone. Shelters, rehabilitation centers, vocational training, financial assistance, a transparent zakat and welfare system, and special protection and education programs for children are all essential. If the state bans begging with one hand while offering no meaningful support with the other, the problem may be pushed out of sight for a time, but it will not be solved.
Instead of depending mainly on short-term relief through Ramadan packages, zakat distributions, or programs such as the Benazir Income Support Programme, the government should identify those who are genuinely in need and create sustainable pathways to employment. Temporary relief has its place, but it also has clear limitations: some deserving people are left out, while others become dependent on charity and drift further away from work. A durable solution lies not in periodic handouts but in rehabilitation, training, and dignified livelihoods.
Particular attention must be paid to those who exploit children for begging. This is not merely unlawful; it is inhumane. Forcing children to beg, making them appear injured or sick, or pushing them into moving traffic amounts to endangering their lives. Those responsible should face exemplary punishment so that a clear message is sent: the state will not tolerate such cruelty.
Public awareness is equally important. People often give money at traffic lights and on the streets out of compassion or religious feeling, without realizing that their small act of charity may be helping sustain an organized racket. The public should be encouraged to support credible charitable institutions and structured welfare systems instead of handing money directly to beggars in public spaces. Such institutions should not deepen dependency; they should help vulnerable people become self-reliant, dignified, and productive members of society through rehabilitation, training, and stable employment. At the same time, these organizations must themselves be subject to strict oversight, so that corruption is prevented and public trust is preserved.
If, after its approval, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government enforces this law with seriousness, acts without discrimination, and builds a credible system of welfare and rehabilitation alongside it, the measure could become more than just another statute. It could mark the beginning of genuine social reform. Ending begging will require more than slogans. It will require political will, administrative capacity, and sustained action. This law may well be a promising start, but its success will depend on the intent of the government, the capability of the state, and the cooperation of society. If those three elements come together, then it is entirely possible to imagine a day when the streets, markets, mosques, hospitals, and schools of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are no longer marked by this social blight.
