KEY POINTS
- Up to 3 years in prison and Rs. 300,000 fine for ringleaders of forced begging
- For those forcing multiple individuals to beg, the punishment increases to up to five years in jail with a fine of up to Rs 500,000
- The repeat offenders will face double the punishment prescribed in the law
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly has passed the Punjab Vagrancy Bill under the name Punjab Beggary (Amendment) Bill 2025 by a majority vote, making begging a non-bailable offence with severe punishments and fines for those forcing children and adults into the practice.
The bill will now be forwarded to the Punjab Governor for approval, after which the amendments will be incorporated into the existing law.
Under the new law, any ringleader who compels a person to beg faces up to three years in prison and a fine of Rs 300,000. In case of non-payment, an additional six months will be added to the sentence.
For those forcing multiple individuals to beg, the punishment increases to three to five years in jail with a fine of up to Rs 500,000.
Stricter penalties apply to child exploitation. A ringleader coercing children into beggary will receive five to seven years in prison and a fine of Rs 700,000, with an additional one-year sentence for non-payment.
The most severe penalty targets those who forcibly maim individuals for begging, carrying a sentence of seven to ten years in prison and a fine of Rs 2 million. Failure to pay the fine will result in two extra years behind bars.
The repeat offenders will face double the punishment prescribed in the law. The Punjab government hopes that the harsher penalties and fines will help dismantle the beggar mafia operating across the province.
The provincial cabinet has already approved these amendments to the Anti-Begging Law, aiming to bring professional beggars and their handlers to justice.
The Punjab government has introduced these amendments to crack down on professional beggars and organized begging networks.
The provincial cabinet has already approved revisions to the Anti-Begging Act, aiming to deter the so-called “beggar mafia” through stricter penalties and fines.
The Punjab Assembly’s Special Committee on Home Affairs reviewed the amendments to the Punjab Vagrancy Ordinance before finalizing them. Once approved by the Governor, the changes will officially become part of the law.
Business of begging in Pakistan
In Pakistan, begging has evolved into a vast and structured enterprise. The dual forces of unemployment and soaring inflation have driven many of the nation’s impoverished to the streets in search of alms.
With a population exceeding 250 million, it’s estimated that around 38 million individuals are engaged in this practice.
In major cities, the daily earnings of beggars can vary significantly: in Karachi, they reportedly gather about Rs 2,000, while in Lahore, the figure drops to Rs 1,400, and in Islamabad, it stands at Rs 950.
On average, a beggar collects around Rs 850 each day. Collectively, these individuals generate a staggering $42 billion annually, accounting for over 12% of Pakistan’s GDP, highlighting the profound economic impact of this pervasive phenomenon.
