TAXILA: As Eidul Fitr draws nearer, hordes of beggars have flocked the markets, shopping malls, traffic signals and streets, including sensitive areas of Taxila and Wah Cantonment.

The beggars, mostly women and children, are being witnessed at commercial places, including Mughal market, Main bazaar, Lalarukh market, Nawababad market, Aslam market, Laiq Ali chowk, Anwar chowk and Taxila chowk.

The women, mostly carrying newborn babies, are seen sitting at pedestrian bridges, centres of markets and bus stops. They also show ‘medical reports or prescriptions’ to passengers at bus stops, outside medical stores and hospitals, asking them to help them in getting treatment.

The beggars cause inconvenience to pedestrians and people visiting bazaars for shopping. On the other hand, the local administration, police and cantonment board authorities have not chalked out a strategy to deal with the influx of professional beggars.

“Beggars’ forceful tactics sometimes create nuisance for the citizens who feel attacked by their offensive behaviour,” said Shakeel Ahmed Khan, an office-bearer of the local traders association.

“The interruptions by beggars become unbearable while shopping in the market,” said Saira Bano.

“Beggars have made the lives of citizens miserable as they chase them and force them into giving them money,” said Umair Shoukat, adding their number increases near Iftar when people throng bazaars for buying fruits and other foodstuffs. The citizens have demanded that the local administration should take effective steps discourage this practice.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2017