LAHORE: Police, in a crackdown, had so far arrested 254 beggars, including 249 men and women,
from different areas of the city. The beggars were taken into custody by police in collaboration with the Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau as well as other related departments. Police handed over child beggars to the Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau whereas others had been admitted to rehabilitation wards of related hospitals designated by the government in this regards.
Police arrested 3,681 beggars, including 3,518 males and 150 females, under the Anti Beggary Act and registered 3,623 cases against them during this year till now at different police stations of the city. The City division police arrested 763 beggars, Cantt division 546, Civil Lines division Police 425, Iqbal Town division 546, Sadar division 701 whereas Model Town division police arrested 640 beggars during the crackdown.
CCPO Lahore Ghulaam Mahmood Dogar said divisional SPs had been given special task to arrest beggars as most of them had criminal background. The traffic police had been assisting special teams to curb beggary.