<p>Sixteen alleged Pakistani beggars disguised as pilgrims were offloaded from a Saudi Arabia-bound flight and arrested for trying to travel to the Gulf Kingdom to indulge in begging, according to a media report on Sunday.</p>.<p>The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) offloaded the beggars from the Saudi-bound flight in Multan in Punjab province two days back, the <em>Dawn</em> newspaper reported.</p>.<p>According to the FIA, the group comprising 16 persons, including a child, 11 women and four men, was travelling on Umrah visas. The Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time of the year.</p>.<p>The FIA officials during the immigration process questioned the passengers who confessed that they were going to Saudi Arabia to seek alms, the paper said.</p>.<p>They also told the FIA that they would have to give half of their earnings from begging to the agents involved in their travel arrangements, it said.</p>.<p>They were to return to Pakistan after the expiry of their Umrah visas.</p>.<p>The FIA Multan circle arrested the passengers for further interrogation and legal action.</p>.<p>The arrests came a day after the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development disclosed to the Senate Committee on Overseas Pakistanis that a significant proportion of beggars are trafficked abroad through illegal channels.</p>.<p>The ministry’s secretary revealed to the Senate panel that a staggering 90 per cent of beggars apprehended in foreign countries belong to Pakistan.</p>.PM Sharif says "even friendly countries started looking at Pakistan as beggars".<p>“Pakistani beggars travel to the Middle East under the guise of ziyarat (pilgrimage). Most people visit Saudi Arabia on Umrah visas and then indulge in begging-related activities,” Secretary Overseas Pakistanis Zeeshan Khanzada told a meeting of the Senate's standing committee last month.</p>.<p>“Both the Iraqi and Saudi ambassadors have reported overcrowded jails due to these arrests,” he had said.</p>.<p>A majority of the pickpockets arrested from within Mecca's grand mosque are Pakistani nationals, <em>The International News</em> daily had quoted Khanzada as saying.</p>.<p>Pakistan is facing an unprecedented economic crisis with skyrocketing inflation amid price rises on fuel and food fronts.</p>
<p>Sixteen alleged Pakistani beggars disguised as pilgrims were offloaded from a Saudi Arabia-bound flight and arrested for trying to travel to the Gulf Kingdom to indulge in begging, according to a media report on Sunday.</p>.<p>The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) offloaded the beggars from the Saudi-bound flight in Multan in Punjab province two days back, the <em>Dawn</em> newspaper reported.</p>.<p>According to the FIA, the group comprising 16 persons, including a child, 11 women and four men, was travelling on Umrah visas. The Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time of the year.</p>.<p>The FIA officials during the immigration process questioned the passengers who confessed that they were going to Saudi Arabia to seek alms, the paper said.</p>.<p>They also told the FIA that they would have to give half of their earnings from begging to the agents involved in their travel arrangements, it said.</p>.<p>They were to return to Pakistan after the expiry of their Umrah visas.</p>.<p>The FIA Multan circle arrested the passengers for further interrogation and legal action.</p>.<p>The arrests came a day after the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development disclosed to the Senate Committee on Overseas Pakistanis that a significant proportion of beggars are trafficked abroad through illegal channels.</p>.<p>The ministry’s secretary revealed to the Senate panel that a staggering 90 per cent of beggars apprehended in foreign countries belong to Pakistan.</p>.PM Sharif says "even friendly countries started looking at Pakistan as beggars".<p>“Pakistani beggars travel to the Middle East under the guise of ziyarat (pilgrimage). Most people visit Saudi Arabia on Umrah visas and then indulge in begging-related activities,” Secretary Overseas Pakistanis Zeeshan Khanzada told a meeting of the Senate's standing committee last month.</p>.<p>“Both the Iraqi and Saudi ambassadors have reported overcrowded jails due to these arrests,” he had said.</p>.<p>A majority of the pickpockets arrested from within Mecca's grand mosque are Pakistani nationals, <em>The International News</em> daily had quoted Khanzada as saying.</p>.<p>Pakistan is facing an unprecedented economic crisis with skyrocketing inflation amid price rises on fuel and food fronts.</p>