Saudi Arabia issues strong warning to Pakistan, ‘Prevent Pak beggars from entering the kingdom under…’

Saudi Arabia has raised concerns about an increasing collection of Pakistani beggars arriving within the Kingdom below the guise of spiritual pilgrimages, specially Umrah and Hajj. The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has communicated these concerns to Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, warning that if this issue is now no longer addressed, it truly is miles in a position to negatively impact the perception and treatment of Pakistani pilgrims. In response, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs is allowing for introducing an “Umrah Act” to deal with travel agencies that facilitate Umrah trips. This act would place these agencies below greater legal oversight to make certain they do now no longer allow individuals intending to beg to misuse non secular visas.

Additionally, the ministry is attempting to to find similarly measures to forestall beggars from travelling to Saudi Arabia below the guise of spiritual pilgrimage, aiming to uphold the sanctity of the non secular journey and maintain good members of the family with Saudi authorities.

“The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has issued a warning to Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, urging action to forestall Pakistani beggars from entering the kingdom below Umrah visas,” citing sources from Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, assured Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Ahmed Al-Malki that strict measures would be implemented to tackle the issue. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been tasked with dismantling the networks responsible for sending beggars to Saudi Arabia, which, in step with Naqvi, is damaging Pakistan’s international reputation.

Significant amounts of these individuals travel to Saudi Arabia on Umrah visas but engage in begging when they arrive, a priority shared by a couple of Gulf countries regarding far off places Pakistanis. Zeeshan Khanzada, Secretary of Far away places Pakistanis, highlighted that such activities below non secular pretenses are common, and Arshad Mahmood, also a Secretary of Far away places Pakistanis, noted concerns raised by Gulf nations in regards to the behavior of some far off places Pakistanis, including work ethics and involvement in criminal activities.

A report by the Ministry of Far away places Pakistanis and Human Resource Development revealed that Ninety% of beggars arrested in foreign countries are from Pakistan. In response, the FIA has been directed to intensify efforts against these mafias. Recent actions include the offloading of eleven alleged beggars from a Saudi-bound flight at Karachi airport and a previous incident in September 2022, when sixteen beggars were arrested for attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia disguised as pilgrims.

Furthermore, Khanzada mentioned that a majority of pickpockets arrested within Mecca’s Grand Mosque are of Pakistani origin.